Perspective
by Jjah-Jjah
Summary: Wanda fic! Wanda begins regaining her memories in strange dreams that seem to include a slightly loopy imaginary friend. complete!
1. Chapter Eno

Good afternoon readers! It is I! Jjah-Jjah, also known as JJ or "Hey you!".  
  
I know, I know! I shouldn't be starting another fic when I haven't updated my other one, but I'm desperate! My muse, Sigmund The Lawn Gnome, the little weasel, threw a writer's brick at me a month ago and I've been creatively unconscious ever since. I'm hoping that this chapter of this story I wrote a while ago will unclog my brain.  
  
Anyway, you should read the first two chapters of my other fic, The Rabbit Hole. It's in the Cowboy Bebop section. The first chapter is badly spaced, but the second one is readable. I have started on the third chapter! But it just won't move! Damn you Sigmund!!! I need a new muse. Anyhoo.  
  
Disclaimer: Although I would like to be a freak with cool powers instead of just a normal freak, I am not. Therefore, I do not own X-men or any of the thingies affiliated with the afore mentioned.  
Soooo.. Read the stupid story! Give me back my confidence from the lack of reviews from my other story! Review! And if you see Sigmund tell him he's fired!  
  
*** Chapter 1: Here we go.  
  
Wanda snorted and fell back on her bed. That idiot Toad appeared to have finally given up and left her alone for tonight. That boy was disgusting.  
  
She pulled herself up into a sitting position, cross-legged, and tried, unsuccessfully, to clear her thoughts and meditate. After only a few seconds she gave up and snarled her frustration. Something across the room exploded. She didn't care.  
  
All that mattered was the prickling feeling of unease nettling it's way through her senses. She didn't know what it was, but she could identify that it had something to do with her past.  
  
Her past. A confused blur of emotions and memories and blank spots. Something told her that is was important, no, essential, that she remember. But, it just didn't seem to matter anymore, about her father. She was getting used to letting the uncomfortable sensations fade.  
  
Lately however, it had been all but impossible. There had been something gnawing at her mind, day in and day out, like some kind of rabid animal. There was something she had to remember, and it had nothing whatsoever to do with her father.  
  
She gave an exasperated groan and proceeded to get ready to go to bed. When her head finally hit the pillow she was instantly asleep. And instantly swept away.  
  
***  
  
"Father!" she wept, "Please come back and get me! Don't leave me here!" She beat child-like fists at the metal walls of her cell till they bled. She stared at the blood and realized that no one would come and bandage them for her. No one would come and wipe away the tears and comfort her. Her father and her brother had left her, abandoned her here, what seemed like forever ago. No one would take the pain away. Everyone in this hellhole was scared crap-less of her, all because of her little outbursts.  
  
Well, they weren't really little, but she couldn't help that! She couldn't help it! Couldn't control it! She had no idea what to do about it and no one was willing to help her out. She really was all alone. Abandoned for being different by a father who just stood in the rain and then drove away.  
  
With this realization, little Wanda folded her arms across her chest and clutched at the sleeves of her hospital uniform, staining them with twin scars of red. She sat, and drew her knees up to her chest. She sat there motionless for a moment before her body began to heave with sobs. She slumped over and continued to cry; her nose clogged with the tears, forcing her to breathe noisily through her mouth. Her breathing accelerated to the point where she couldn't catch her breath. Concentrating on breathing allowed her to slow down some. Slowly, her heartrending sobs turned into broken laughter. She laughed hysterically, till she hiccupped, tears still falling down her face.  
  
She was abandoned and bleeding and alone. The pain she felt was something someone her age had no right to bear. They would feel it too; she knew they would. They would all pay for doing this to her. But, that thought only brought the laughter back to sobs again. She lay there with her wounds open and bleeding, hiccupping occasionally and curtained in tears. She was all alone.  
  
No you're not.  
  
Wanda froze and nearly choked on her own tears. She had heard a voice distinctly; she knew she had. She crept over to the heavy door and pressed her ear to the cool metal. Nothing. No one was outside. Maybe they were right. Maybe she was nuts; she was hearing voices. She sat back down again, cross-legged, and glanced at the ceiling. Tentatively, she answered, "What did you say?"  
  
*I said, no you're not all alone, because I'm here too.*  
  
Oh lordy lord. She was nuts.  
  
*No you're not! Why would I ever start a conversation with a crazy person?* Wanda sniffed and wiped her face with her sleeve. *Stop crying already! You're making me sad, and that's an accomplishment.*  
  
"I'm sorry I can't stop." Wanda sniffed. It was strange. She could almost feel the presence of another with her, even though there was no one there. What ever it was, it immediately made her feel like she wasn't alone. She quickly latched on to the presence. Who cared that it wasn't real? It was her only lifeline left and she took it.  
  
She clapped her hands in excitement and winced at the pain. "Who are you anyway?" Wanda asked. The presence was silent for a moment and Wanda felt as if she was being evaluated from the inside.  
  
*Are you hurt?* The voice asked, concerned.  
  
"I just hurt my hands, no biggie."  
  
*Why don't you call the nurses? They'll fix you up. They'll probably give you a needle, but hey.*  
  
"I can't. They never come, they're afraid of me."  
  
Once again the voice was silent, as if musing. Then, *Wait a sec; I'm going to try something.*  
  
Wanda panicked. "No please! Don't leave me! Please!"  
  
The voice seemed startled. *Hey! Don't worry. I'm just going to see if I can get something done about your hand. I'll be right back! I promise. Wait. Your name's Wanda, right?*  
  
"Yes." Wanda answered hesitantly.  
  
*Ok. Just wait a sec.*  
  
The presence withdrew.  
  
Wanda waited, hardly daring to breathe, till she finally heard voices out side of her cell.  
  
"Hey Blanche! What're you doing down here, this isn't your break time." A startled female voice answered. "Well. I. I don't know. Didn't somebody call me about bandages?"  
  
"No. Nothing here."  
  
What about the Maximoff girl? Have you checked on her lately?" "No, not lately."  
  
"Herm! We're supposed to check on the patient every hour! I suppose I'd better go look."  
  
Wanda heard the clopping of heavy footsteps coming down the corridor towards her. Someone fumbled at the door and the little peephole slid open and a pair of heavily made up eyes peered through.  
  
"Lordy! There's blood everywhere! Get in here Herman!"  
  
After a few minutes of general fumbling, the woman called Blanche, the man called Herman, and another man cautiously entered the cell and bandaged Wanda's hands. As the voice predicted, they did give her a sedative. When they left, Wanda leaned back against the wall, looking at her crisp, white, bandaged hands, feeling slightly woozy.  
  
*Did it work?* The voice sounded as tired as she was.  
  
"Yes! They came and fixed my hands. Thank you."  
  
The voice giggled. *Really? This is so cool! Did the pear-woman come?*  
  
"Pear-woman?" Come to think of it, that woman with all the make-up on was shaped like a pear. Wanda giggled. "Yeah."  
  
*Good. She's an ok person. She just has a short attention span.*  
  
Wanda nodded and smiled, but the sedative was starting to take effect. The presence swirled around in her mind. *You're gonna go under in a minute. I'll go now.*  
  
"Will you come back?"  
  
*I'm a voice in your head and you're in an insane asylum. What do you think?*  
  
"What's your name?'  
  
Jillian.  
  
*** It was then that the dream was shattered. Waves of pain bombarded Wanda's skull. Her breath came out in short pants as anguish that was not her own flooded through her mind. Voices screamed in her head, but try as she might, she couldn't make out a word of what they were saying.  
  
Wanda shot straight out of bed. Breathing as if she had just ran a marathon, her eyes wide sweat covering her body. Stunned into wakefulness, she brought a hand up to her chest and felt her heart pound. Someone knocked on the door.  
  
"Hey baby! You awake yet?" Toad.  
  
Snarling, Wanda heaved her pillow at the door. "Go to hell, Toad!"  
  
"Ok, you're up! Jeeze baby, don't be so grumpy in the morning." His voice faded.  
  
Wanda calmed and thought over her dream. A memory? Could the memories that she had lost really have been so terrible? And that voice. Maybe she really should have been in a hospital if she was hearing such things.  
  
"Maybe you should try looking at things from his point of view."  
  
Pietro had said that at one time or another. The thought made her inexplicably angry. If that was a memory, she had every right to be angry.  
  
She hung her head. Dreams? Memories? Voices? Jillian? What the hell was going on?  
  
***  
  
If you're reading this it means you're reading my story! You wonderful person you! Bring me the head of Sigmund the Lawn Gnome, and I'll love you forever! (Which means I'll spare you when I take over the world.) Oh well, I have to go now or I'll miss Golden Girls. See ya'll! And press the purple button at the bottom left hand side of you screen and tell me whether you think this idea sucks or not. 


	2. Chapter Owt

Once again, It is I! Jjah-Jjah! I'm so happy! I got two reviews! I only got one review on the first day of my first fic! :-D (See how starved for attention I am? Have pity!)  
  
Anyhoo. Just so you all know, I'm not completely happy with this chapter, but I'll give it about an 85. Oh well.  
  
You should also know that Sigmund is still at large! I'm thinking of offering a reward. In retaliation, I'm having muse tryouts. So far I've got Anise the Pink Lawn Flamingo, Bubba the Woodchuck, Ed the Purple Lawn Flamingo, and that's about it.  
  
This chapter is dedicated to my old imaginary friends, Bob, who ran away, Francis, who went Antarctica and never came back, and Ana, who dissolved and got sucked down the drain.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned X-men, Kurt would be mine, and I would be the main character in the series. But he doesn't, and I'm not, so I must not own X-men. Go fig..  
  
You must all review this chapter! I will be forced to hunt you down if you do not!  
  
***  
  
Chapter Two: A Realization  
  
Wanda leaned back and stretched in a cat-like fashion. Then she sat down on the ledge of the building. Dully, she watched the people below, going about their daily lives. None of them bothered to look up, so none of them saw the red-clad girl watching them.  
  
It was high noon. Wanda reached over to the sack lunch she had bought herself and munched on a bag of chips. Her mind wandered from eating to the topics of the month: her past and the weird dreams she had been having.  
  
Ever since the first dream, she had been plagued by strange dreams. None however, managed to equal the clarity and strangeness of the first.  
  
Wanda bit her tongue and hissed in pain, the taste of blood entering her mouth. She threw the bag away and pulled herself off the ledge of the building. She lied back on the sun-warmed roof and tucked her hands behind her head. It wasn't as if she had anything better to do.  
  
She watched fluffy white clouds blow across the pale blue sky and wrinkled her brow in concentration. Watching the clouds. Try as she might she couldn't remember ever doing such a thing before. With that thought swimming in her head, she fell asleep.  
  
***  
  
*I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves!  
  
I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves!  
  
I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves,  
  
And this is how it goes!  
  
I know a song that gets on ever--*  
  
"Ok! I give! Have mercy!" Nine-year-old Wanda clasped her hands over her ears and rolled in agony on the floor of her cell.  
  
*Ha! I told you, you didn't stand a chance! Draw the grid, loser!*  
  
Wanda groaned and began drawing a tic-tac-toe grid on the floor with a charcoal stick she had found. "Do you want to be X's or O's?"  
  
*You seem to be an X person, so I'll take the O's. You go first.*  
  
Wanda scrawled an X in a bottom square of the grid and then waited patiently. She had discovered a while ago, that her imaginary friend Jillian could see through Wanda's own eyes when the occasion called for it. Tic-tac-toe for example. The little girl managed a smile as the familiar tingling sensation started in her eyes; the signal that Jillian was "looking" at the game board.  
  
*The far left square on the top row.*  
  
Only a few minutes later, Wanda had scored a diagonal win.  
  
*No fair! I lost!*  
  
"Well, you did win the last three games."  
  
*Only because I read your mind.*  
  
"What?!!"  
  
*Crap, err. Nothing!*  
  
"You're the only person I know who has to read a person's mind to win tic- tac-toe!"  
  
*I'll have you know that tic-tac-toe is a challenging game.*  
  
"Mm hmm, right up there with basket weaving and watching paint dry."  
  
It was then that a scuffling noise outside the door signaled the beginning of Wanda's weekly check-up. Wanda frowned, upset that the conversation had been rudely interrupted. The door squealed open to reveal several white-clad hospital workers who looked like they had just been sent to battle in Vietnam.  
  
Jillian began to speak in an announcer's voice.  
  
*Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! Welcome to the Greatest Show On Earth! I'm Jillian, the infamous imaginary friend, and it looks like we're going to have quite a turnout tonight!*  
  
Wanda stood up and tried her best to look like she was possessed by the archfiend. She stared through the dark locks of her hair, unblinking. Her facial expression was stoic. She allowed the anger to seethe up her body. The dark memories of betrayal, abandonment, and rage clouded her senses till all she could see was red.  
  
*The excitement is building, folks! What demonic acts of torture will our hero perform on the poor hospital saps, today! I'm so excited!*  
  
She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to listen to their excuses for why she was here. She didn't want to be poked and prodded by their stupid doctors. She just wanted to be left the hell alone.  
  
So she exploded.  
  
With an unearthly screech, the walls began to shake and at least three of the workers were thrown against a wall. All the light bulbs outside in the hallway popped in a shower of sparks and ceiling tiles began to fall.  
  
*Yahoo! Go Wanda! Kick their behinds!*  
  
The remaining workers rushed towards her with a straight jacket and a tranquilizer. Wanda avoided them with practiced ease; slipping from their grasps like a ferret. What objects there were in the room began to levitate. One worker was smacked in the face by a floating food tray and another was beaned by bedpan.  
  
*See that one? The one with the ugly hair. He's the one that always makes fun of you all the time! Get him Wanda!*  
  
Wanda did just that when the offending party's toupee burst into flame.  
  
*Ha ha ha! No wonder his hair always looks like road kill! That was beautiful!*  
  
Wanda ducked under an attempt to secure her into the straight jacket and ran out the open door. She had to escape; she had to! She reached the end of the hall when the alarm went off.  
  
*Uh oh. We're so screwed!*  
  
It was then that a seemingly endless number of hospital workers, doctors, and nurses came out of nowhere and wrestled her to the ground. Wanda struggled and screamed with all her might, but found herself strapped into a straight jacket and given a mild tranquilizer, nonetheless. She pulled at her bonds, but realized she couldn't move her arms an inch. If she couldn't move her arms, she couldn't conduct her power. All the chaos surrounding her slowly stopped.  
  
*Well. That was a fiasco.*  
  
"Oh, shut up." Wanda muttered under her breath. One of the men leading her to the infirmary looked at her strangely, and Wanda returned the favor with a death glare. They finally reached her personal check-up room. The bare one with nothing in it she could blow-up. Wanda was placed on the cold metal examination table and left there till the doctor would arrive.  
  
"You enjoyed that didn't you?" Wanda said softly, so no one could hear her.  
  
*You are my main source of entertainment.* Wanda snorted in reply. *Awww, come on. You know I love you, but I think you need to work on your escape skills.*  
  
"What would you suggest, then?"  
  
*Why don't you try skipping trying to escape a few times till they let their guard down and then go for it? You can still beat up the guys in white suits, though, because that's funny.*  
  
Wanda smirked. "I'll try it, but I can't control it, you know that. I get angry, and then things just happen. It's not like I'm trying!"  
  
*Your powers are connected to your emotions, big deal. You'll be able to control them better later. You're only nine, after all. Think how much butt you'll be able to kick when you're older! Be positive!*  
  
"Positive?" Wanda wasn't sure whether she should laugh, cry, or scream bloody murder at that remark. She settled for a half-grin.  
  
*Yes, positive. Think happy thoughts like, Care-bears, kittens, lollypops, and fluffy clouds! And how much fun we're going to have later when we hunt for the missing alligator of the Congo!*  
  
Wanda blinked. Whenever Jillian talked crazier than normal, it meant that something was up. It was then that the realization hit.  
  
"I am NOT going to play tic-tac-toe again!!!"  
  
*Wanda! What ever made you think such a thing?*  
  
"Why are you so obsessed with it anyway?! You can't even win without cheating!"  
  
*Well, it's not my fault it's the only game I know that you can play with a piece of charcoal and a floor! I'm bored!*  
  
Wanda sighed. "If I think of something else that we can play, will you promise never to play tic-tac-toe with me ever again?"  
  
Jillian appeared to consider it for a moment.  
  
*All right. But it has to be something interesting.*  
  
"Deal." Wanda smiled as the doctor came in. Her mind was on the task of finding a game to appease her friend rather than the dreaded examination at hand.  
  
***  
  
The dream suddenly shifted from the faint feeling of satisfaction from an argument won, to skull splitting pain. Blue and red exploded behind closed eyelids, and ghastly faces seemed to scream in the swirling colors. Images flashed by so quickly, that it hurt to try to sort them out. She felt as if a weight had been placed on her chest, and she was going to explode with the pressure. She couldn't breathe.  
  
Wanda woke gasping for air. She immediately shielded her eyes from the harsh sun and hunched over. A sick feeling found it's way into the pit of her stomach.  
  
These dreams were not just quirks, she realized. They were too similar. They were too real. Something was very, very wrong. These were actually. These were memories. Real memories.  
  
She felt a familiar surge of anger surround her like a warm cloak. She sank into it. She would wait. She wouldn't rush headfirst into the matter as she had done in the memory. She would wait and learn the real truth. And if it was what she suspected it was.  
  
There would be hell to pay.  
  
***  
  
Yay! You read this chapter! You're officially a good person. Now if you want to be an even better person, click the purple button. A little window will pop up. And you should write some stuff on it. Preferably good stuff, but bad stuff is ok, too. As long as you write stuff in general, I will we pleased.  
  
I have to go now. You know. World domination and all. 


	3. Chapter Eerht

It is I! Jjah-Jjah! Guess what! Sigmund has been captured! Instead of killing him, I had him lacquered, so now he'll never be able to move again! Buahahahahahahahaha! And guess who brought him in? Ed the purple flamingo! In gratitude, he will become my new muse! (Sorry Anise and Bubba!)  
  
Anise: That's no fair! You didn't even give us a chance!  
  
Bubba: Yeah, you didn't even start tryouts!  
  
Ed: Well, you could have tried getting up off your sorry asses and trying to help, but nooooo! (AN: Rock on, Ed!)  
  
Erm. Anyhoo. Thank you to all my splendiferous reviewers! I have never gotten so much praise before in my life! :-D Here are my responses to your reviews reviewers!  
  
Qwel: Thank you! I didn't like that she lost her memory either! This is my revenge! About Pietro. Waaaaay towards the end of the story, there will probably be a sibling reconciliation, but till then Wanda is going to kick her brother's behind several times.  
  
Roguehobbit: *Blushes* You're so nice! You won't expect where I'm taking this story, though I did drop several hints in this chapter. As for world conquest, I'm afraid I need Ohio, because my fav zoo is there. You can have all the other places, if I can visit.  
  
Hathor: Thank you! I have not seen Jay, sorry!  
  
RogueDragon5: Thanks! But, don't absorb my life. With me in your head you will become afraid. Trust me.  
  
Arisa Charin: Thank ye! However, I'm afraid that taking over the world is my job.  
  
Taineyah: Thank you, my dear!  
  
HA! I thanked everyone! Take that! Well, here's the disclaimer:  
  
Disclaimer: Ahhh, X-men. Wish I came up with the idea, but I didn't. Oh well, moving on.  
  
Onward, my lovelies!  
  
****  
  
*** Chapter Three: Oh yeah.  
  
Wanda was trying to peacefully watch TV.  
  
She really was.  
  
However, trying to watch TV while a hormone-ridden, teenage, mutant, idiot, Toad was dancing about in front of the set trying to get your attention was enough to send any sane person into a rage of bloodlust.  
  
"Yo Sweet-Cakes, get a load of this!" Toad proceeded to show off his acrobatic prowess in a series of moves that he believed made him look athletic and daring. In reality, they made him look like a lizard.  
  
"So what ya think, yo?" Toad landed on the sofa and leaned in next to Wanda, grinning. "Impressed? How 'bout we go out tonight, honey?"  
  
Wanda said nothing, and Toad, seemed to take it as an affirmative answer. "Don't worry, Sweetness! You'll have the time of your life!"  
  
The poor boy never saw Wanda's dragon-like glare and the way the ceiling above him ominously began to shake. He took a flying leap and. found himself propelled into the ceiling, where his head crashed through and got stuck..  
  
Wanda settled back down into the couch with a smirk and changed the channel while admiring the new Toad chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Before long, Todd's muffled screams for help reached the other Brotherhood boys and they all found their way into the TV room.  
  
"Hey Toad, what are you doing up there?" Freddy asked, dumbly.  
  
"Mrr gurhr cswertl mrrphhh." Toad replied.  
  
Lance looked from Wanda to the boy hanging from the ceiling and said, "I don't even want to know."  
  
Pietro however, responded to the scene with hyper high-pitched laughter. "Why didn't I think of this? Way to go Wanda!" He looked his shoulder at his twin with a nervous smile.  
  
He always seemed nervous around her, Wanda mused. She knew that she had once been angry with him as well as her father in the past. However, she had yet to regain a single memory of why exactly she had hated Pietro. In fact, she hadn't regained any memories recently. The last dream had been practically a month ago. It was disturbing, really. To have someone be nervous around you all the time and never know why.  
  
While she had been thinking, the boys had been trying, unsuccessfully, to yank Toad down from the ceiling.  
  
"Hey Wanda!" Lance huffed, "You were the one who stuck him up here, so the least you can do is help get him down!"  
  
The other two boys looked at him like he was crazy and even Toad stopped his struggling to hear what Wanda's reaction would be to the impromptu request.  
  
Wanda narrowed her eyes and groaned, but got up from the couch anyway to help free the annoying pest. Together, all four of them yanked on Toad, while Toad himself wriggled like bait trying to get down. Finally, he moved a fraction of an inch and everyone sighed in relief. They pulled harder and the bottom of Todd's face could be seen. All was going well until his head was almost out of the hole. That was when the ceiling cracked..  
  
Toad popped his head out and the ceiling surrounding cracked and fell. The sound registered in the others minds, just in time to keep from being knocked in the head. Well, that is everyone but our hero, Wanda.  
  
A huge chunk of plaster fell down and clobbered Wanda right across the head. Needless to say, she fell to the ground, completely out of it.  
  
***  
  
Wanda's ten-year-old form huddled back into the corner of the cell. It was lights-out and she was supposed to be asleep. But she never really did what she was supposed to do anyway, so it didn't matter. She had a lot of things on her mind. Lately she had been questioning herself.  
  
"Jillian?"  
  
*Present.*  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
*I'm lying here awake trying to figure out how they get the whipped crème into Twinkies. What are you doing?*  
  
"What do you think about me?"  
  
*Is this a trick question?*  
  
"No, really, what do you think?"  
  
*Uhhh. Well. You're friends with me, which testifies to your overall brilliance. And. You're probably in need of some anger-management classes. But other than that, you're an imaginative, bright, person. Why?*  
  
"Do you think my father had a good reason for leaving me here?"  
  
*No.*  
  
"No?"  
  
*Parenthood is hard. You turned out to be a little bit more of a challenge than he thought, so he took the easy way out. Nothing more.*  
  
"You think so?"  
  
*I would say, "I know so", but that sounds so cliché.*  
  
"What about Pietro?"  
  
*Pietro?*  
  
"Yes, my twin brother. He didn't care, either. He just stood there with father and didn't do anything to stop him! He didn't even protest! Or cry! Or anything! He let father abandon me here! He abandoned me too!"  
  
The ceiling rattled and outside, down the corridor, a ceiling fan exploded and lodged itself into a wall. Somewhere, a glass broke. Tendrils of dark energy radiated from Wanda to the walls of her cell, akin to the energy in a lightning sphere.  
  
"Was I really so horrible, so out of control, that my own brother no longer cared for me?" A tear slid down Wanda's lip, where it flowed to the corner of her mouth, then fell to the floor.  
  
Jillian did a double take. Wanda was crying. Whenever Wanda cried, she more often than not, hurt herself. But this was unique. Usually Wanda cried and then lost her temper. This time, it was the other way around. She didn't know what to think. She searched Wanda's mind for an answer.  
  
*I'm not afraid of you, Wanda.*  
  
Wanda had several weaknesses. Some more obvious than others, but the reactions of those around her had always been a constant factor. Fear. It seemed that everyone was afraid of her. Wanda encouraged it mostly. Fear was the perfect barrier. It kept people away and kept them from looking below the surface to find what wounds were still bleeding.  
  
But fear was a curse as well. Fear kept a wall between you and life. Fear was contagious. Often the people, who instilled fear, became slaves to fear. Wanda was such a person. She kept her barriers up and reinforced them every chance she got. She used fear as her weapon, but she was also afraid. She was afraid that there was something wrong with her; that she had been abandoned here for a legitimate reason. She was afraid of always being the outsider, no one ever letting her in because of her power. She was afraid of being abandoned. She was afraid of being alone.  
  
She was not alone.  
  
*I will always be here. You're not alone, because I'm here too, remember?*  
  
"But you're not even real!"  
  
*I'm real as long as you keep talking to me. And maybe I'll still be real even after that. I don't know. I don't.*  
  
Wanda sniffled and crawled into her hard cot, pulling the blankets up around her chin.  
  
*Now is not the time. We'll talk more about me later. As for Pietro, children and even grown-ups, often fear things that they do not understand. Sometimes it even overcomes rationality. It's amazing at times, how alike children and adults are. The real fools are the adults. At least children admit they're children. Grown-ups pretend that they're above it all when really they're just acting like kids. If they just recognized their behavior for what it really was, then maybe you and I wouldn't be here.*  
  
"What does that have to do with anything?"  
  
*Probably nothing. Now go to sleep. We have unusually important things to do tomorrow.*  
  
Wanda smiled. Jillian didn't make sense 99% of the time, but even then, she was comforting. With this though in mind, she fell asleep. But Jillian was still there.  
  
***  
  
*Wake up, sleepy head! Word on the crazy-person's grapevine is that you have a visitor today!*  
  
Wanda groaned and rolled over, covering her head with a pillow trying to unsuccessfully muffle out the voice.  
  
*You've got to be kidding! A mere pillow will not stop the rantings of Jillian, the magnificent! Wake up! Didn't you hear me? You're going to have a visitor! A visitor. You know, one of those people from the outside who come to visit you? *  
  
What Jillian was saying finally registered in Wanda's head. She shot straight up in bed, all sleepiness gone.  
  
"A visitor? I've never had a visitor before! How do you know?"  
  
*The way I know everything. I eavesdropped on the nurses while they were in the Ladies Room.*  
  
"Maybe it's father, or Pietro. Do you think they're going to take me out of here finally?"  
  
Jillian was silent for a moment.  
  
*Maybe.*  
  
Wanda mused for a few moments. She walked over to the wall and rested her hands on its smooth surface. This was where she had battered her hands that first time. When she had met Jillian and crimson had been running down. The cloak of anger once again descended on her and wrapped around her form tightly.  
  
"If it is father, I'm going to kill him."  
  
She said it simply. As if she were talking about the weather. Her voice was stoic but her face was another story. Her expression was cold, sorrowful, and angry all at once. A person observing her would have a hard time telling if she was going to cry or commit mass murder.  
  
It was then that the sound of the door bolts being slid back heralded that it was time for Wanda to go see her mysterious visitor. Wanda struggled in the usual way. Things flew through the air, burst into flame, and exploded, but she did not try to escape. Finally, she was in the familiar straight jacket that Jillian had fondly dubbed "Bob" and was led down the equally familiar corridor to a part of the hospital that she had never been before.  
  
The visitation rooms.  
  
Wanda struggled and they began to draw her towards a particular closed door. She had to get free! The anger inside her seethed and burned. It had to be her father! No one else knew she has here and Pietro was too young. She found she could move the tip of one hand slightly. It was all she needed. She began to collect her power. He would pay. The door opened..  
  
And it was not her father. A strange looking bald man in a wheel chair sat behind a table. But it was too late. Her power controlled her, and at the unexpected sight she lost all control over the power she had been gathering. Everything in the room began to go crazy, until.  
  
The man brought his hands to his head and immediately Wanda felt a foreign sense of calm wash over her. She fought it, but her anger just slipped away. It was still there, but she couldn't grasp it.  
  
Wanda started. She had just heard a voice in her head and it wasn't Jillian. It was this man. No sooner had the alien words registered in her mind she immediately felt the prickling sensation behind her eyes that signaled her of Jillian's watchful presence. She was not alone with this strange man. Someone she trusted was right there looking at him with her. She calmed considerably.  
  
The man seemed satisfied. He smiled and motioned for her to sit down. She did.  
  
"I'm very pleased to meet you Wanda. My name is Charles Xavier and I would like to help you. Now,-"  
  
***  
  
Wanda suddenly felt like she had a horrible hangover. Colors slashed behind her eyes, screaming that it was too soon. There was still more to see. She tried desperately to hold on to the dream, but it slipped through her fingers like water. With a final outraged screech, the dream was pulled out of her reach as her eyes flickered open.  
  
She was on a couch, with something cold on her forehead, and several stupid looking worried faces peering down at her. She was being shaken. By Pietro.  
  
"Hey man, do you think it's a good idea to shake her like that? I mean she's not a martini." Toad ventured.  
  
"She's got to wake up sometime! Sooner rather than-". He glanced at his sister's face to find her eyes staring menacingly back at him. "Ack! Wanda,you'reup!I'msooosorry!IwasreallyworriedandItriedtosaveyou,Ireallydid!B utitwaseveroneelse'sfaultasusualand-"  
  
"Pietro." The boy stopped short. Wanda grinned. She finally remembered why she didn't like Pietro. She sat up gingerly and looked him straight in the eye.  
  
"Run."  
  
***  
  
If you read this you're probably either curious or confused. Welcome to the club! Membership to the club requires you to click on the little purple button and leave a review! Ok?  
  
Adieu then! 


	4. Chapter Ruof

It is I Jjah-Jjah! Sorry about this chapter taking so long. I just got back to school and I have to write papers a lot. Guess what? This weekend I get to take home one of those computerized baby things that's supposed to teach me how time-consuming having a baby is. Oh joy. And guess what also? My birthday is in a few days! Life is sweet.  
Anyway, I would like to acknowledge all my splendiferous reviewers.  
  
A girl and her muses: Thank you, but no. The world will all be mine! Muahahahaha!  
  
roguehobbit: Thank ya, you're so nice! Your picture sounds cool. I try to draw, but I'm not good at it.  
  
Qwel: Toad was made to be bashed. I actually think he's kind of funny, but there's just something about him that screams, "Abuse me!" I don't know.  
  
Fellow deamon: Sigmund has suffocated from lack of air, due to the varnish. You're too late.  
  
Taineyah: Halleluiah! Show the lady what she's won! You're the first person to touch this point! Who is Jillian? Is she real or not? All I can say right now is that Wanda believes Jillian is just a figment of her imagination, nothing more. I'll probably put the answer to this question at the very end of chapter six. We'll see. :-D  
  
And now! The Disclaimer!  
  
Disclaimer: I am the disclaimer! It's my job to tell you that JJ owns very little, and among her possessions, there are no mutants. But she does have a dog.  
  
Anyhoo.. Onward!  
  
***  
  
***Chapter Four: Smorgasbord  
  
Wanda stormed down the streets of Bayville like a red hurricane. She smirked and looked down at Pietro's wallet in her hand. That had felt good. After beating the crap out of Pietro for no apparent reason, she mugged him, and then proceeded to blow up the house. But after she thought about it, she decided that blowing up the whole house would be a bad idea, because she didn't have any other place to live, so she settled for just blowing up the TV room. And Pietro's room. Oh well.  
  
Wanda knocked down a trashcan as she passed it and then rounded a corner, her coat billowing behind her. She was still angry. That dream. Or hallucination, whatever! There was more to it! She could have learned more if her pitiful excuse for a brother hadn't woken her up!  
  
Charles Xavier had visited her. He was the leader of the X-men. Why had he of all people visited her? How had he found out about her? Had father told him? Had he tried to recruit her to join the X-men, or something? If he had, did she refuse? Did Xavier abandon her there as well for it?  
  
Wanda stopped in her tracks and held her hands to her aching head. Too many questions! Her head pounded. Everything was so screwed up! Her mind, her memories, her life! She barely even knew who she was anymore! Was she the less excitable, clueless, more tolerant Wanda that she was now, or was she the scarred, angry, lonely, vengeful Wanda from her dreams? Which one was real? Which one did she want to be, anyway?  
  
"Excuse me miss, would you like to be seated now?"  
  
Wanda, startled from her reverie, looked over to see a waitress looking at her expectantly. She realized she had stopped in front of a little outdoor café, in what appeared to be the line. She started to say no, but then realized that despite her headache, she was hungry. And to top it off, she had Pietro's wallet. She smiled and said,  
  
"Yes, please. Non-smoking."  
  
***  
  
Wanda settled back into the black sun-warmed metal chair and looked at the menu. The red and white-checkered awning of the café fluttered slightly in the breeze. After a few minutes of deciding, she ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, and a coke. While she waited for the waitress to bring her drink, she took a peek into her brother's wallet.  
  
"Holy shit!" She hissed.  
  
The thing was stuffed with crisp, new, hundreds. Father apparently didn't let his favorite starve. She suddenly realized that whenever she was low on cash, all she had to do was mug Pietro again. The simplicity of life brought a tear to the eye at times. There were also several credit cards. Wanda grinned evilly. A moment later, she tucked the wallet into her back pocket and then began tracing the tablecloth's pattern with a single black nail.  
  
***  
  
"Just remember Wanda, your abilities are a gift. However, they are a very dangerous gift and you need to learn to control them. In order to control them, you must let go of your anger. You need to let go of your hatred for your father."  
  
The mere mention of the cursed name made the walls of the visitation rooms crack.  
  
Xavier looked disappointed.  
  
"I see we aren't going to make anymore progress today, child. I'll be back next week for our next session."  
  
The wheel chair whirred faintly as it drew the man out of the room. The door closed and the sound echoed across the barren room. Wanda sat in a wooden chair, trussed up like a thanksgiving turkey in her straight jacket. The door opened again and she tilted her head around slowly to see who it was.  
  
The hospital workers. Again. She grimaced at their uniforms through her hair. If she ever got out of this dump, she vowed never to wear white as long as she lived.  
  
They approached Wanda with caution. She was not being aggressive at the moment, but the mere look in her eleven-year-old eyes caused chills to go down the spine of anyone who saw it. They attached her to the poles that kept her at arms length. They didn't take chances anymore. She was the most dangerous patient in the hospital.  
  
*C'est la vie.* Jillian murmured absently.  
  
Wanda snorted. The hospital workers dumped her into her cell. This cell was a new one. After she had blown up the old one, this one had been made especially for her. It was in the middle of the room, instead of down a hall; that way she could be under tighter security. It was somewhat smaller, but the roof was higher. There was no door. Whenever they wanted to take her out, they just took the cell apart. She got her food through a little trapdoor designed for the purpose. There was also the window.. The peephole the doctors would look through whenever they wanted to.  
  
"That was absolutely pointless." Wanda hissed as she sat down against the padded wall.  
  
*At least you and Bob got some quality time together!*  
  
"Bob is just a straight jacket, Jillian. Get over it!"  
  
*Sorry, Crabby. Didn't know it irked you so. Irk. Isn't that a great word? I just learned it. There's just something about it. Irk, irk, irk, irk, irk, irk, irk, irk, irk, irk! *  
  
"Shut up!!!! You're being annoying!"  
  
*That's what irk means! Annoy! You're so smart Wanda.*  
  
"I try. What'd you think about what Professor Xavier had to say this time?"  
  
*I think he's trying to use reverse psychology on you. Oldest trick in the book. It's on all the soap operas.*  
  
"You don't even know what reverse psychology is."  
  
*So? Neither do you.*  
  
Wanda growled. "But seriously, what did you think? I don't really see how something that's a gift can get me holed up in this dump. Everyone I've ever known has considered me a freak of nature. I've even been a freak among freaks. I'm considered a monster even to other mutants." Mutants. That was what Professor Xavier had called people like her. "And as for 'letting go of my anger'. I can't do that. It's all I have left, but. I don't know! I do need to learn to control my power better. But letting go of my anger? Haven't you noticed how he looks when he says that?! The tone in his voice?! He disapproves. He's disappointed. It's like I'm just making a big deal out of some little stupid thing! That I don't really have any reason to be angry!"  
  
The room shook and the metal walls beneath the padding resonated from the aura of Wanda's anger alone.  
  
*I kinda agree with him and I kinda don't.*  
  
Wanda calmed, awaiting her inner voice's explanation.  
  
*It is kind of a gift, but it's a dark gift. Yeah, you are considered a freak and you're locked up in an asylum, but look at what you can do. You aren't powerless. You have the ability to fight back and win against anything life throws at you. But as to the anger part. I don't really think he understands. Which is weird, since he's supposed to be some kind of powerful mind reader person thing. He wants to help, but he doesn't empathize your point of view very well. He doesn't know what it feels like to be abandoned here by your own family and have everyone treat you like your sick or a wacko. You've been through hell.*  
  
*You have a right to be angry. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.*  
  
***  
  
There was a scream and a flash of color and then silence.  
  
Wanda blinked and shook her head to clear it. She looked around, her heart pounding.  
  
She had not been asleep.  
  
For the first time, she was actually scared. She was afraid that these 'dreams' were starting to get out of hand. Why was she having them? Why was she suddenly having them while she was wide-awake?! Everyone around her was going about his or her daily lives as if nothing was happening. They were thinking of themselves and their families and jobs. They never once thought of the girl who was struggling for her sanity in their midst.  
  
Wanda clutched her head and bolted from the restaurant, her hunger completely forgotten. Her head was pounding now. It didn't particularly hurt, but there was pain. It was a mixture of throbbing, tingling, agonizing, and stretching sensations. It was as if her mind were expanding, trying to keep her brain from collapsing in on itself.  
  
She rounded a corner. She was coming into a less populated portion of town. She sank down with her back against a building's brick wall; half expecting it to feel like it was padded. A man came out of a building and walked on the sidewalk towards her. He shot her a nasty, disapproving look, as if her dark witchy attire made her less worthy to walk under the sun than he. Wanda stared back, giving her patented Satan's Spawn glare with half the amount of effort she usually did.  
  
***  
  
*What do you think is the meaning of life?*  
  
"The meaning of what? What are you rambling on about now?"  
  
*The meaning of life. It's supposed to be one of the most important questions in the world because nobody knows the answer.*  
  
"Are questions that nobody knows the answer to considered more important than other questions?"  
  
*I guess.. People pay more attention to answerless questions at least.*  
  
"I guess the meaning of life is to. . . Do what you want to do most."  
  
*Fulfill your dreams you mean?*  
  
"I guess so."  
  
*So, what to you want to do most? Get revenge or get out of here?*  
  
"Which one?"  
  
***  
  
Wanda jumped up, startling the man as he walked past. The man was still walking past. These visions didn't take anymore than a few seconds. She continued walking, not really caring where she would end up. After several minutes, she stopped. And was surprised to find herself standing on one of the cliffs overlooking Xavier's Institute For The Gifted.  
  
The wind blew the tails of her coat slowly around her body, pushing them up till they looked like wings. The wind was warm and comforting, like anger. For a moment, Wanda considered going down to the mansion and asking for help, but the idea left as soon as it came. They would think she was crazy. They would think she was dangerous and keep her there 'for her own safety and the safety of others'. She had heard it too many times before. That place would only become another asylum. She turned her back on the building and left, never to return. . .  
  
***  
  
*The word, I think, is pink.* Jillian offered.  
  
Wanda looked dubiously at the rectangular object wrapped in paper, sitting in front of her. She poked it, and retreated back into a corner to observe the object's reaction.  
  
It just sat there. Glittery and pink and rectangular.  
  
"What is it?" Wanda questioned.  
  
*It's a box.*  
  
"I can see it's a box, but what it that stuff all over it?"  
  
Jillian seemed to peer at the box for a moment before answering.  
  
*I think it's wrapping paper.*  
  
Ah yes, wrapping paper. Wanda remembered wrapping paper. It was colorful patterned paper that you put around presents. But this was not wrapping paper. . . It was something evil.  
  
"But look at it, I mean it's.-" She trailed off.  
  
*Pink?*  
  
"Damn right! Look at it! Nothing, anywhere, at anytime, should ever be that shade of color! I mean look at it! It's gross!"  
  
*No arguments here.*  
  
"Why is it here?"  
  
*I dunno. . . Hey, look at the window thingy.*  
  
Wanda looked, and sure enough, white-coated doctors, with white artificial light glinting off their glasses were observing her and writing down her reactions. White and pink. Lord, she'd never, ever, wear those colors.  
  
*They're probably doing some kind of psychoanalysis thingy.* Jillian mused. *I'd say your best bet is to shove the box up your shirt, throw yourself at them, and drool all over the glass.*  
  
Wanda said nothing.  
  
*But they'd probably consider that normal. Oh well, moving on.*  
  
"I wonder what's inside it?"  
  
*You're an intelligent thirteen-year-old. Open the damn box!*  
  
Wanda did just that, half expecting the sheer pinkness of the paper to burn her fingers as she did so. The object inside tumbled out of the box and bounced off the padded floor.  
  
Wanda looked at it. . . And her eye twitched. And she swore she could almost feel Jillian doing the same. It was a Barbie doll. In a fluffy, pink, glittery dress. Wanda picked it up and looked at it.  
  
*Let 'em have it, Wanda.* Jillian stated without inflection.  
  
Wanda concurred. This was really sad. She had hated Barbie dolls all of her life. They finally let her have a toy after six frikken years, and it's a Barbie doll. A pink Barbie doll.  
  
Wanda stood up and calmly walked over to the observation window with the doll in hand. Then while the doctors looked on, she brought the doll up to her face.  
  
And ripped off it's head with her teeth.  
  
Wanda then proceeded to assault the doll with a fury unmatched by any doll assaulter that had ever lived before her, while Jillian cheered her on and the doctors watched in horror. Finally, the doctor's left, thoroughly convinced that the Maximoff girl was completely insane.  
  
*I love it, I love it, I love it!* Jillian guffawed. *This is better than cable!*  
  
***  
  
Wanda staggered and continued walking. She smiled in spite of her self. It actually was kind of funny. The looks on those doctor's faces was priceless. Once you got used to spontaneously zoning out and having weird visions, it wasn't that bad.  
  
She rubbed the goose egg on top of her head as her stomach growled. Ah yes. Sustenance. Feeling the bulge of her brother's wallet in her pocket she grinned and hi-tailed it to the nearest restaurant, hoping she could get her food and get out quickly before another vision began.  
  
Wanda climbed back up onto the roof of the building she had been sitting on when she had had her second dream. It was a nice place. The sun warmed the roof even after it was dark. Nobody ever went there. Wanda had made up her mind that she was going to sit there eating her lunch, until she finished having all her visions. As long as it took.  
  
She leaned back, the heat soaking through her body and making her sweat. She held up a hand and looked at the sun through her fingers. She would find out everything. . .  
***  
  
Here I am! Press the button and I'll let you hold my baby! Or change its diaper. Whichever you prefer. Thank you for reading this chapter! I Love You All! 


	5. Chapter Evif

It is I! Jjah-Jjah! Once again, I am sorry it took me so long to update. There was a test, and a birthday, and college visits at six in the frikken morning, and that stupid baby.  
Ah yes. Let me tell you about the baby. It cried every five minuties for two hours! Then it got me up at two and then five in the morning. Do you know how hard it is to change the diaper of a screaming child in the middle of the night when you've just woken up and you also happen to be nearsighted and can't see what the hell you're doing??!! *breathes heavily* It's hard. Anyhoo. On to the reviews. I hit the big 20! I'm so happy! *Glomps Ed the Flamingo*  
  
Ed: Squawk!  
  
***  
  
Rouguehobbit: Thanks for your understanding on the school thing. It's evil, but hey.  
  
Taineyah: I would have let you have the evil little child. Anyway, the Barbie thing was actually one of those tests were you give a person whose been abused a doll that's supposed to represent them, and then they're supposed to make it more like them. Often times they'll rip it to pieces, because that's how they feel. But the Barbie probably isn't the best doll to give this test with. There probably will be a pattern of Barbie abuse in this story. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rock!!  
  
Storm-Pietro: There will be a lot more Pietro, but not till later on.  
  
Eileen: Ha! I shall not tell you the identity of my mystery! It's not Xavier, but it's kind of odd that he hasn't noticed Jillian yet, ne? The chapters are in reverse to symbolize how messed up Wanda's mind is because of her memories being messed with. Thank you for noticing!  
  
Talia458: Oh, yes indeedy! Magneto will most certainly be in here, but just like Pietro, not till later on.  
  
The Mouse of Anon: I like you, you're silly. Thank you for the reviews and the taquitos. Good thing I don't have a garage.  
  
Thn: Pie will be beaten up several times, but look on the bright side! Maybe it'll beat some sense into him! (  
  
A girl and her muses: Thank you! The world is mine. You may live in my society free of tax.  
  
*** Chapter Five: Idiots live on  
  
French fries were a disgusting food, really. They were saturated with grease, pumped full of steroids, and God knows what else. They really were kind of gross. Especially when they were cold. You could taste how heavy the grease was when they were cold. The only things that made them edible then, were ketchup and salt.  
  
Wanda swirled a French fry into the ketchup and brought it to her mouth chewing slowly. Mentally, she reviewed what she now knew.  
  
Her name was Wanda Maximoff. She was sixteen years old. She was a mutant with incredible power. At some point, she had apparently lost all her memories and had them replaced with fake ones . . .  
  
She had been in a hospital, a mental hospital, for several years. Her father and possibly her brother had been the ones to leave her there. She had been understandably angry. Professor Xavier had visited her. She had had an imaginary friend named Jillian. All of her memories included Jillian. . .  
  
Wanda sat up at that realization. All the memories included Jillian. What was the real purpose of her dreams? To remember her past, or to remember Jillian? She rubbed her temples and wished she had some aspirin.  
  
Even so, the memories were incomplete. There were huge gaps in between each one, and they couldn't even really be called true memories. She remembered the visions themselves, but she only remembered the events from the visions; she didn't actually remember the events.  
  
A low rumble startled Wanda from her thoughts. She looked over to the direction the sound had come from. A dark smudge of clouds outlined the horizon. Despite the clear blue sky, it appeared a summer storm was approaching. For a moment, Wanda felt a wisp of memory. The sound of thunder and rain pounding on the roof, echoing down through the quiet, empty, building. The sound even reaching through the thick walls of a cell. . .  
  
Wanda blinked and it was gone so quickly, she was convinced she had imagined it. The storm was still far away. She had hours left before it came anywhere near her. She ate another French fry.  
  
The pain hit her then. It radiated from the center of her being and caused Wanda to take a sharp intake of breath. It was not a physical pain; it was something deeper; akin to intense grief. She rolled over onto her side and brought her hands to her head.  
  
"Here comes another one."  
  
***  
  
*And today, in the local news, the hospital workers have undergone a wardrobe change. They've gone from last year's look of bunny-rabbit white, to a hip new shade of puke green. Speaking of green, the cafeteria is now serving green jell-o, but how do they make it green? That's what this reporter would like to know. And now, Bob, with the weather.*  
  
"Bob is a straight jacket."  
  
*At least he laughs at my jokes. . .*  
  
Wanda snorted in reply. They sat like that for quite a while. Neither one said anything. Unsurprisingly, the one who broke the silence was Jillian.  
  
*I'm soooooo bored.*  
  
"Go talk to Bob."  
  
*He has nothing to say. Why don't we do something?*  
  
"What do you suggest? It's not like we have a lot of options."  
  
*We could jump up and try to touch the ceiling.*  
  
"We did that already."  
  
*Oh.*  
  
Silence permeated the room like a foul stench. It was so quiet, that Wanda's ears began ringing. If it was quiet for much longer, she going to go deaf. She turned her head towards the table and chair. Besides the bed, they were the only pieces of furniture in the room. They were nailed to the floor with titanium bolts. Wanda raised an arm and beckoned the object forward. It vibrated and groaned against the bolts, but did not move.  
  
Wanda grimaced and tried harder. What was a desperate attempt to break the silence had turned into a consuming need to wrench the table up from the floor and destroy it. She cursed under her breath as beads of sweat popped up on her forehead under the strain. The table shuddered slightly.  
  
Her arm trembled under the strain. She was putting so much effort and energy into this single cause and it was having no effect. Snarling, she moved her arm slightly so it was in a more comfortable position.  
  
Then she bent her middle and ring finger slightly inward. And the table flew off of the floor and crunched against the ceiling. . .  
  
Wanda jumped back about a foot and her mouth hung open in surprise.  
  
*Damn! That was so cool!*  
  
Wanda had to agree. It was cool. Grinning openly, she brought her fingers into the same position and pointed it at the chair. It melted into the floor like butter. Wanda's grin, if possible, grew wider, and with a whoop of joy, she began annihilating everything in the room.  
  
***  
  
An hour later, tranquillized and trussed up in good old Bob, Wanda gave her interpretation of a sheepish grin to an unhappy looking Professor Xavier.  
  
"Wanda." He trailed of and sighed. "I know living here is hard for you, but I thought we had this all worked out."  
  
Wanda raised an eyebrow. They had worked out something? Erk. . . She couldn't exactly remember. Woozily, she mused to herself whether or not they had given her just a little too much tranquilizer this time. . .  
  
"I thought we had talked about controlling your power. You know you need to stop destroying the hospital's property wantonly, and you know you should use your power in an appropriate way."  
  
'Excuse me?' Wanda thought, as her eyes narrowed. 'This is the guy that always tells me "your powers are a gift" and all that junk, and I just discovered something new about my powers and he's telling me I did something wrong? He's a hypocrite!'  
  
*No duh.* Jillian replied.  
  
Wanda eeped in surprise and fell out of her chair onto the visitation room floor. This was the first time Jillian had ever responded to something that Wanda didn't say out loud. Ok. She could concentrate her powers by just lowering two fingers and she could talk to Jillian in her head. Oh boy.  
  
"Wanda? Are you alright?" Xavier said as he wheeled over. He looked concerned.  
  
Wanda turned her head towards him with a tremendous amount of effort. She looked at him and blinked a few times, confused that there appeared to be two people looming over her.  
  
*You're stoned.* Jillian stated matter of factly.  
  
"Am not." Wanda slurred out. "I'm not on any thing, I'm feeling splendiferous thank you very much.."  
  
Professor Xavier raised an eyebrow at the girl lying on the floor looking disoriented and talking to herself. With no hesitation, he reached over and hit the assistance button.  
  
*You sound like a crazy person.*  
  
Slightly embarrassed Wanda responded, "Do not! Stop trying to psychoanalyze my brain! All three of you!" She addressed Jillian and the two Xavier's. Dimly in the background, she could hear Professor Xavier arguing with someone about giving her too much of something.  
  
*Go to sleep already. You aren't missing anything.*  
  
Wanda did just that.  
  
***  
  
Wanda rolled over and started on her burger. With every vision, she learned something new. Grimacing, she opened her burger and started picking out pieces of onion. She hated onions. Onions made you cry, and besides, they tasted bad. She finished and went back to eating.  
  
***  
  
*You aren't going to like this.*  
  
"Like what?" Wanda huffed, stopping her sit-ups. She had discovered exercising was something that passed the time. Surprisingly, it had been Xavier's suggestion. He did come up with good advice sometimes.  
  
*You just aren't.*  
  
"What?!" Wanda snapped.  
  
"Mr. Montgomery is coming today."  
  
Wanda replied by swearing at the top of her lungs.  
  
"You're kidding!"  
  
*I kid you not. . . Weasel Claus is coming to town.*  
  
With that said Jillian burst into song, substituting the word "weasel" for "Santa" in Santa Claus is Coming to Town.  
  
Wanda sat down, ignoring the song in the background, and contemplated her fate. . .  
Basil Montgomery was a feared man all around the loony bin. He was the hospital's largest benefactor, and therefore had certain rights. Among these were random visitations to the patients he deemed "special". Montgomery wasn't feared because he was particularly scary. Wanda had him beat in that department. What the patients feared was his enthusiasm, and his lack of working brain cells.  
  
Mr. Montgomery picked out the patients that were the most messed up, (in his opinion) and "sponsored" them. Sponsoring included taking pictures with Mr. Montgomery, listening to Mr. Montgomery, and being basically all around annoyed by Mr. Montgomery. Unfortunately, Wanda was "special".  
  
*He sees you when you're sleeping,  
  
He knows when you're awake  
  
He knows if you've been bad or good.  
  
'Cause he's got the place bugged for Goodness' sake!*  
  
In fact, Mr. Montgomery had a special place in his heart for Wanda. She was his favorite project. He had decided to go on a one man crusade to make Wanda (and I quote), "An upright, responsible, young lady and American citizen." (Unquote). Her powers didn't faze him; he considered them to be the side affects of some brain disease. Wanda would have killed him at their first meeting if she hadn't been wearing Bob. She had bitten him though, but that only seemed to strengthen his resolve.  
  
*You better watch out!  
  
You better not cry.  
  
You better not pout,  
  
I'm telling you why.  
  
Weasel Claus is coming,  
  
To town!*  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
Jillian only laughed, but stopped suddenly as the cell began to open.  
  
*He's heeere!* Jillian said eerily.  
  
Wanda started saying the word 'shit' over and over, and began to bend her fingers into the customary position. She made a mad dash for the exit, but was caught and secured into Bob. They sat her at her table and Wanda could only watch in horror as Basil Montgomery strolled into her cell with a grin on his face the size of the Golden Gate Bridge and a nervous photographer.  
  
"Hello Miss Wanda, are you having a nice day?"  
  
Wanda shuddered and gave him her Satan's Spawn glare. It didn't work.  
Even the way he looked was annoying. He was about thirty-five. His hair was reddish brown, and his bangs were swept to one side in a really annoying way. His nose was straight, his smile was straight from a polydent commercial, and his entire face was shaped like that of a shaven weasel.  
  
"My goodness, how you've grown! I've got some super fun things for you to do today!"  
  
He opened a bag he had with him and pulled out several items. A teddy bear, an inkblot test, and an adorable baby doll. No Barbie dolls.  
  
"The teddy bear is for you to snuggle with whenever you want. I know how people like you need comfort in your condition." He smiled sweetly.  
  
*You know, if he didn't have so much money, he'd probably be an inmate here. . .* Jillian mused.  
  
'He makes it sound like I'm pregnant or something.'  
  
*Or brain dead. Whichever you prefer,*  
  
"Now, I want you to look at these for me, ok?" He asked slowly, as if waiting for her to grasp the meaning of his words. He held an inkblot test.  
  
Wanda smiled slightly. He was seriously giving her an inkblot test? She knew he didn't know anything about them. This could be enjoyable after all.  
  
'Quick, Jillian! Give me something to say!'  
  
Inkblot tests were a common sight in an institution, oftentimes becoming monotonous. However, Wanda and Jillian had made a game out of it long ago. They would try to see how badly they could freak out the person giving the tests by giving extremely odd answers. Jillian has always been the one to come up with the answers since she was odd anyway.  
  
Wanda barely contained a chortle at Jillian's answer, but hid it under the pretense of studying the inkblot carefully. After a few minutes she answered.  
  
"It's a rhinoceros. A genderless one. I believe it's searching for tutus among orchids in a babbling brook of lemonade and squid ink. The Moose of Katmandu is coming out of the Astroturf forest in the background. He's going to push the genderless rhinoceros into the lake of molten fire and watch him fly away into the glitter berries. But hark! It's Lucky! Those damn kids are after his cereal again! Maybe he should seek political asylum from Willy Wonka. After all, he did let in the Oompa Loompas. What do you think?"  
  
Montgomery looked startled when Wanda looked at him expectantly awaiting an answer. He stuttered illegibly for a few moments and blushed before saying,  
  
"I think we should move on to something else don't you? Now here."  
  
He picked up the doll and cradled it gently.  
  
"Do you know what this is Wanda?"  
  
Wanda contemplated killing someone. Either Montgomery or herself. What the hell did he think she could think it was other than a baby doll? A pot roast?  
  
"This is called a baby, Wanda. Once upon a time, you were a baby and I was a baby. Everyone in the world was a baby once!"  
  
*That. Is a hunk of plastic shaped to look like a baby. . . Isn't it?*  
  
'You and I know that, but I think someone forgot to tell him.'  
  
"Do you know what you're supposed to do with a baby?"  
  
"Eat it?" Wanda answered and leaned towards the little bundle as Jillian cracked up in the background.  
  
Mr. Montgomery snatched the child away and held it to his chest.  
  
"N-no, Wanda. That's not what you do with a baby." He placed the doll back into the bag, where it was safe from being eaten and beckoned the photographer, who had been snapping pictures the entire time, over.  
  
"Take some pictures of me with Wanda, will you?" He walked over and placed an arm around the girl's shoulders. She stiffened visibly.  
  
As the photographer snapped pictures that seemed to show Basil Montgomery being charitable towards a psychopath, the man yammered on about how it was his responsibility to be patriotic. This was rather stupid, because no who was listening cared, and it wasn't like the camera could record sound. When the incessant talking wandered from patriotism to Benjamin Franklin to the evils of modern technology, Wanda had just about had enough.  
  
She was crazy mad. Why did she have to listen to this asshole anyway? Even Jillian was beginning to feel cross. Turning her head, she noticed a bandage on one of the fingers on the hand resting on her shoulder. Wanda and Jillian both developed an eye twitch at the same time. That bandage had been there seven months ago when he had first visited. He had grinned and called it a tennis accident. She would show him tennis accident.  
  
Montgomery stopped and screeched in mid-speech, then frantically tried to pry the angry teenager's teeth off his finger. Once he freed himself, he swore, something he had never done before, and rushed out of the cell. The photographer scurried after him, still snapping pictures.  
  
Wanda spit the weirdo taste out of her mouth and grinned widely. She could hear Montgomery outside complaining at the top of his lungs to someone outside. He was angry. She could tell. Whenever Montgomery was angry, his voice became incredibly high pitched.  
  
"I'm holding you responsible for this! I try to help her and look what happens! Why can't you make her act better? I'm going to need stitches!"  
  
A random hospital worker replied, "I'm sorry sir, but we can't make our patients act in a certain way. If we could do that, they wouldn't need to be here."  
  
"It's going to get infected! It doesn't matter! She should have been better prepared. How am I supposed to get publicity with her acting like that? You could have put me with one of those freaks upstairs who thinks they're a pirate, or the girl who cries all the time, or the one that doesn't do anything at all and I would have gotten more results! Jesus!"  
  
The two men's voices faded as they moved away. Someone came in and released Wanda from her straight jacket. Then it was as quiet as before. Wanda sat on the floor and reached over to the teddy bear that had been discarded carelessly on the floor. She traced its glass eyes with a finger. It had been abandoned here just as readily as she had been. She laughed noiselessly under her breath and walked over to a corner. She placed the animal there facing the wall, as if he were in time out. Then, she went to her cot and lied down, staring at the ceiling.  
  
***  
  
*Exactly what are you seeing?*  
  
***  
  
Wanda's eyes shot open. The sky overhead was dark with storm clouds and cold rain had just begun pounding down. A flash of lightning illuminated everything briefly before it went dark again. Wanda stood, still looking up into the clouds. Rain covered her face and a frigid wind blew her coat and hair wildly around her. Water smeared her eyeliner and it ran down her cheeks in tears of scarlet. The lightning flashed again and briefly, everything appeared as if out of an old movie. Everything in black and white. Except the tears of scarlet.  
  
Which just kept streaming down red.  
  
***  
  
You know what the scary part is? Mr. Montgomery is a real person. *screams* Can you tell I don't like him very much? Anyhoo. Review this thang! 


	6. Chapter Xis

It is I, Jjah-Jjah! And if I hear one thing about how long its taken me to get this frikken chapter up, I'll come to your house in the middle of the night and rip off you face. . .  
  
Life sucks! I just wrote this chapter in the midst of nausea and a migraine; I hope you're happy. . .  
  
Ed: I think they are.  
  
JJ: Shut up! No one asked you, you purple, bent beaked, feather-mite conductor!  
  
Ed: I'm a flamingo! What do you want from me?! I'm leaving now! Do your own frikken promos!  
  
Whatever. Anyhoo, my recent conquests are finding out about the joys or static electricity, the Atlanta Bread Co., Care Bears: the movie, and four day weekends. Moving on. . .  
  
Taineyah: I'm not in an institution, but I have had people do tests on me. He should be bitten and tortured. Arrrgh! He should die! Anyway, whether or not Jillian was in the present is open to debate. It's meant to be confusing.  
  
roguehobbit: Thank you! I'm good at writing songs. Yes, he is a teacher. US Government. Thanks for your sympathy, but what I really need is a good hitman.  
  
Storm-Pietro: Thanks! I was feeling unusually poetic when I wrote that sentence.  
  
Goddess of darkness3: Todd/Wanda.. Erm. Well.. Maybe. It's not like there are a whole lot of interested guys to pair her with.  
  
A girl and her muses: When do we get to meet Jillian? *Insert evil laugh here* We shall see. If the chapter name is any hint. . .  
  
Ok! End of reviews! I forgot to put in the stupid disclaimer last time so here ya go!  
  
Disclaimer: I am sick and miserable at home with no reading material and a splitting head-ache. If I did own X-men, I would sell it for money to buy painkillers, or a large mallet to knock myself out with. The end.  
  
***  
  
***Chapter Six: The Importance of Rain.  
  
Wanda shook the water out of her hair and draped her coat over her dresser. Rain tapped at the window as if it were trying to get in. She sighed and began taking off her make-up. Then she looked in the cracked mirror and made a face. Perhaps more dreams would come tonight. If it had not been raining so hard, if it had not been so cold, then maybe she would have stayed out all night, but the rain had driven her in.  
  
Rain. Rain had some kind of meaning. . . Didn't it?  
  
She yawned, changed into her nightclothes, and collapsed onto the bed, setting the mattress springing. It was cold outside, but it was sweltering in the house. Wanda kicked the blankets off her bed and lied there.  
  
She lay there and no sleep came. She was more awake than she had ever been. An hour passed, and she was still starring at the ceiling. No visions. No dreams. A feeling of deep disappointment washed over her as she realized that no more visions were coming. And that was when it happened.  
  
Suddenly, Wanda felt numb all over and she couldn't move. It was like being shocked. Her joints began to ache and her pupils dilated painfully. Her entire body then went rigid. She let out a painful, ragged breath and tried to scream, but no sound came out. She could hear another voice screaming. Colors clashed and blended and ripped each other apart in front of her open eyes before fading into a soothing shade of red. . .  
  
***  
  
*Of course, you realize, this isn't what you think.*  
  
Laughter rippled through the air and Wanda stared at the ceiling. A fluorescent light was hanging there and it burned her eyes if she looked at it for too long. She had been looking at it for the past ten minutes. She looked away, and all she could see were green and red spots, beautiful colors, swimming across her burning eyes. Tears ran down and she looked around the room with blind eyes.  
  
*Exactly what are you seeing?*  
  
"Colors."  
  
*Colors?*  
  
"Yes colors. This must be what they look like on the outside. Beautiful and vivid like this."  
  
*If they're so beautiful, then why are you crying?*  
  
"Because it hurts."  
  
***  
  
*No you're not.*  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
*I said, no you're not all alone, because I'm here too.*  
  
***  
  
Wanda giggled as her father spun her around. It had been a wonderful day at the park. Pietro had stayed home today; it was purely a father- daughter outing. Before long, he bought her a lollypop from a vendor. She held it clutched in her hand as they rode the merry go round, the cheerful music pulsing in her ears.  
  
***  
  
*At least children admit they're children.*  
  
***  
  
A young Wanda stood in front of a window. Rain covered the glass thickly, but strangely, no sound of rain could be heard, whatsoever. The water was so thick, she couldn't even see through the window. All she could see were blurry muted shapes and her own reflection. Light shone through the window. Pale blue light. Everything was blue.  
  
***  
  
The cheerful music was surrounding everything. Wanda felt as if she could stay on the merry-go-round forever. The wind pulled at her hair as she looked over her shoulder to see her father perched on the horse behind her, a contented smile on his face. Wanda frowned.  
  
That smile. Why did it seem so out of place? That smile had no business being on his face at all. Why?  
  
All of a sudden the ride began to shake and the music took on a broken tone. The yellow horse she had been riding suddenly turned a brilliant shade of red and twisted its wooden head around to look at her. Its eyes glowed and she screamed.  
  
It was like something out of a horror movie or nightmare. The colorful canopy of the merry-go- round split, and the red horse's legs creaked as they began to grow, carrying her to a dizzying height. The sky that had been sunny was now blanketed with dark clouds and the wind began to howl. It tore at her clothes and hair. She looked down and saw her father; just standing there, staring up at her.  
  
"Father! Help me, I'm scared!" She cried, tears rolling down her cheeks.  
  
He simply looked at her, his face striped with shadows, the strange contented smile still on his face. Then he turned. . .  
  
And walked away. . .  
  
"No!" Wanda screamed. The horse rose into the clouds and the ground passed out of sight.  
  
As soon as the stormy clouds obscured everything, the horse's legs, which had been still on the ground, returned to their normal length with a resounding snap. The wooden head once again turned to look at Wanda. White teeth bared and eyes glowing a nightmarish yellow. The girl returned its gaze, too frightened to look away.  
  
"Are you scared?" The red horse asked, the voice throaty and unfamiliar.  
  
Wanda could only nod.  
  
"That's wise. You should be. . ."  
  
With that said, the horse turned its attention back ahead of itself, and began galloping forward. They passed huge dark thunderhead clouds. Lightning flashed from within them and Wanda clutched at the horse's mane, only loosening her grip when she realized something was cutting into her palm. She looked down and realized she was holding the lollypop from earlier so hard, that blood was beginning to well up. She opened her hand, and the lollypop fell and disappeared. It felt so right. That lollypop never should have been there. She looked at the cut on her hand, and the blood that oozed from it. The blood did not seem out of place. So familiar. It fell on the horse's red shoulder, blending in perfectly.  
  
Suddenly the horse swooped down, and the clouds parted for an instant. For a moment she could see the cold towers of some strange building. It looked like a prison. She could have sworn she had been there before. Then it was gone and the horse began gaining altitude again.  
  
"Where are we going?" She asked the horse hesitantly.  
  
It's head turned slightly towards her. Its eyes closed for a long moment and when they opened, instead of yellow, they were glowing ice blue.  
  
"We're going to find Wanda." It said, the voice different than before and suddenly familiar.  
  
***  
  
"Jillian?!"  
  
***  
  
Strangers were pulling her into a very scary building. She struggled and cried out. She must have done something very bad indeed. Father had brought her and Pietro here saying only that they were going to go someplace fun. But now Pietro and her father stood across the street looking at her. It was raining and the rain was cold. All she wanted to do was get back in the car and go home. She looked at her family. They were looking at the ground.  
  
Then her brother's eyes rose for a moment and met hers.  
  
And she *knew*. . .  
  
They were going to leave her here.  
  
"No!" She screamed and suddenly began struggling even harder. Her twin's eyes sunk back down to the ground.  
  
"No! Please! Father! Pie! Please don't leave me!" The strange men who smelled of a hospital's cleanliness began pulling her into the building with even more force.  
  
"Please! I'll be good! I'll never do anything bad again! Please don't!"  
  
The rain was cold and blinding and fell down like silver. Everything else was gray. Tears began to fall in profusion, adding to the silver. Her tears, the rain, her brothers' hair, her fathers' hair. Everything was silver.  
  
"Father!"  
  
They pulled her into the building and started taking her up some stairs. She looked out the window and saw her father's car driving away.  
  
"Father! Don't leave me!!"  
  
***  
  
*You have a right to be angry. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.*  
  
***  
  
The walls of her cell screeched open. She could hear the hospital workers and security team warning each other to be careful. She wondered what they wanted this time.  
  
*Xavier hasn't visited in a while. Maybe its him. . .*  
  
Wanda snorted. She allowed herself to be trussed up in Bob, but began to struggle as soon as they took her out of the cell. Escape had recently become an obsession. She had to get out. If she didn't she really would go insane. It had been getting horrible lately. She couldn't take it anymore. Even Jillian, the ever-jovial one, had recognized the seriousness of the situation. The emotion strain of constant captivity was getting to be too much for Wanda. She had to get out. She had to. If the inside of her cell was really all she had to look forward to for the rest of her life, then life couldn't be worth living.  
  
She had the means to kill herself. With her powers, how could she not? Everyone though her too obsessed with revenge to ever think of suicide. But if she couldn't get revenge, if she couldn't do anything, then. . . God! What other options were there?  
  
She struggled and found she could move her hand. The buckles on the jacket melted away and with a jerk, everyone near her went flying in all directions. She stoically conducted a symphony of explosions and then ran towers the nearest door. She disposed of Bob's body and raised her hands forward. The door was closed, but it opened for Wanda, melting away at her command. She raced down the hall. There was a door. She raised her hands again and the door slammed against the wall.  
  
Xavier was inside. He looked up, startled and scared. She wasn't surprised. She probably looked like she just ran out of the seventh depth of hell. But it wasn't Xavier that attracted her attention. Behind him was a window. A beautiful yellow window. She took a step forward, breathing heavily. So close. Freedom was just on the other side. Just a few steps and a thin pane of glass. Only a few steps farther. So very close.  
  
*Look out!*  
  
It was then that Xavier, genius that he was, decided to let loose one of those psychic blasts. Wanda cried out and fell to the floor, curling up in a corner. She felt the familiar sensation of her anger, her comfort, seeping out of her replaced by that intruding sense of calm. Oh, how she hated it.  
  
"You seem very angry today." He started.  
  
*Congratulations Professor Xavier! You've just won the understatement of the year award!*  
  
"Just get, me, out." Wanda responded.  
  
He looked guilty. "Wanda, you know there's always a place for you with my X-men, but right now I just can't risk it." He'd never risk it.  
  
Wanda felt like screaming. Couldn't he see how much that statement hurt her? She mutely noticed a doctor arrive and tell Xavier that she needed more X-rays done.  
  
*More x-rays? You're going to turn into Godzilla if you get much more exposure to radiation.*  
  
Wanda said nothing. She was never getting out now. She walked down the halls with the doctor, docile as a lamb, as Xavier had instructed. They came to a security checkpoint, and as the doctor tried to get them through, one of the guards peered down at Wanda as if she were a monkey at the zoo. She ignored Jillian's suggestion to spit in his eye and followed the doctor's lead. Past radiology. . .  
  
She looked up at the doctor for the first time, confusion and hope in her gaze. Jillian looked too and was silent. The doctor murmured words of reassurance, but Wanda didn't hear them. Her breathing became rapid, her excitement grew, and her control slipped as the doctor led her down the stairs towards the exit. The walls cracked and Wanda focused on the ray of yellow light coming from under the door.  
  
The door swung open and as she stepped foot on the pavement and saw the sky stretching out endlessly above her, her control slipped completely. But standing there before her was an old woman enveloped in an elegant cloak. The woman reached for her and immediately began a beautiful chant in some strange language. A sense of calm washed over her, but it was completely different from Xavier's. Her anger was gone, but she still felt comforted and warm. It was as if someone had enveloped her in a hug and was whispering in her ear that everything was going to be all right. Everything left her mind, her anger, her sorrow, her pain, and Jillian. She barely noticed the doctor turn into a strange woman and then into a security guard. Then everything went blank.  
  
***  
  
"Can't you see how dangerous she is? She's like a witch with those powers!"  
  
***  
"Rage is strong, but you are stronger."  
  
***  
  
"Maybe you should try looking at things from his point of view."  
  
"Monsters don't have a point of view!!!"  
  
***  
  
"I know how hard it must have been for you."  
  
***  
  
"You're just like him! You always were!"  
  
***  
"See only the beauty."  
  
***  
  
"He'll pay for what he did to me. . ."  
  
***  
  
The cell was dark, it was late, and Wanda was tired. She and Jillian had been up all night long planning yet another escape. Sleep would be fast in coming. She yawned, but just as she was about to drift off. . .  
  
*Wanda?*  
  
"What?"  
  
*If you do get out. . . When you do get out. . . Will you come back and get me?*  
  
Such a strange request. . .  
  
"Sure."  
  
*Really? You promise?*  
  
"I promise."  
  
***  
  
She stood again in front of the blue window with the rain falling down. Light played through the water casting a rainbow of shades of blue. Then, the perfect silence was interrupted by a strange sound. She looked, and saw a crack forming, the light shining through ice blue in color. Then the crack grew, and grew, fragmenting out like a lightning bolt. Then the window shattered.  
  
And she could see everything.  
  
Every event, every true memory came flooding back to her in a rush. It was like adrenaline. She remembered her childhood in the asylum with Jillian, she remembered her desire for revenge, and she remembered Magneto capturing her and using one of his butt ugly henchmen to erase her memories and replace them with fake happy ones.  
  
She smiled and then the strange rush of tearing colors hit her again with more force than it ever had before. . .  
  
*Wanda! You promised! You left me here all alone!*  
  
The scream ended on a despairing note and Wanda woke immediately.  
  
***  
  
Wanda shot off the bed, covered in a cold sweat her heart beating much faster than normal. Yes, now she remembered everything, but what she had just realized was completely sobering.  
  
She got up and looked in the mirror. She was trembling. She could see her window's reflection. It was still raining. She had been abandoned all those years ago and now she had committed the same sin.  
  
Jillian was not a figment of her imagination. Jillian was a real person who had been in that asylum with her. A real person who had shared her pain, comforted her, and been her only friend for all those horrible years. A real person that she had promised to come back for. A real person that she had abandoned. . .  
  
"Oh, hell. . ."  
  
***  
  
All right. I'm in pain here, so pity me and write me a review! It's not like I'm asking you to donate blood or anything! 


	7. Chapter Neves

It is I! Jjah-Jjah! And guess what? I'm sick again. Allergies this time. I'm not nauseous. That's good. This time I had a legitimate reason for taking so long! I have a cat. He's black and his name is Tail. I was going to put him in this fic, but the weekend I was gonna start writing this chapter some evil piece of crap ran over Tail!  
  
He's still alive. His jaw is wired and he might have to get one of his eyes removed, but he's alive. For a one-eyed cat with a broken jaw, he seems to be pretty chipper. He likes to sneak up on me when I'm doing my homework and scare the crap out of me by suddenly appearing on whatever I'm working on. Oh well. Moving on.  
  
*** fireweaver: Thank you! Dialogue is usually hard for me. I'm glad you think I'm doing well!  
  
A girl and her muses: The chapter name at the beginning of the story is different from the one in the little box thingy, my dear. I do work at the blood center, so I could use the blood. And we frikken meet Jillian in this chapter.  
  
rogue hobbit: Thank you! You gave me the idea for the chapter name! Isn't it confusing? It's probably what one thinks while under laughing gas.  
  
Storm-Pietro: Thanks! :-D  
  
Wizardess Gal: Whoa. That's what I said when I read your review. That the longest thing anyone's ever sent to me. :-D Yay! I guess it is a cliffhanger isn't it? *looks sheepish*. I honestly didn't realize that till you said something! I guess three muses are better than one. Ed is so temperamental though. Can I borrow your broken curtain rod of doom? I need to use it to beat off my best friend's stalkers. (She has three!)  
  
***  
  
Disclaimer: Oh! I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok! I sleep all night and I work all day! I chop down trees, I eat my lunch, I visit the lavatory! On Wednesdays I don't own x-men and have buttered scones for tea!  
  
*** Chapter Seven: Storm The Looney Bin  
  
Wanda stood across the street, looking up at the one building she thought that she'd never set foot near again. The asylum. The storm had long ago died down from lightning and thunder to a steady rain. The rain pounded down on the building's towers, casting a silver halo against the darkened sky. The similarities between this moment and that instance so many years ago almost made Wanda sick. Only now it was not day, it was night. Or rather 2:30 in the morning. . . Only now she was going to take someone out, not put someone in.  
  
With an audible sigh, Wanda clenched her fists and started across the street. She smashed through the serene surface of a puddle as she neared the door. She stopped. Her hand rested on the door, as she stared into the lighted interior of the lobby. This was one place she was afraid to go in. Then she thought of how it felt to be trapped in there for so long. She couldn't just stand by while a friend went through the exact same thing. A friend. Someone who had reminded her who she really was. Wanda adjusted her sunglasses and turned the collar of her jacket up.  
  
She wasn't a person easily intimidated. She was Wanda Maximoff. The Scarlet Witch. Few things could withstand her fury. This hospital sure as hell wasn't one of them.  
  
The door swung open with a slight screech and Wanda stalked down the familiar corridor up to the front desk. There was a nurse there that she had never seen before. Someone new. She smirked. All the better.  
  
"Hello Miss, visiting hours are over--". The young woman managed to get out before the chair she had been leaning back in gave way, causing her head to smack against the floor.  
  
Wanda stepped over the unconscious woman and to the computer behind the desk. She quickly typed in the name "Jillian" and pressed the search button. Hesitantly, Wanda looked around to see if she had been detected. Seeing that she wasn't, she looked at the search results. There was only one. She selected it and a patient profile sprang onto the screen.  
  
LAST NAME: West FIRST NAME: Jillian M/I: R  
  
AGE: 17  
  
GENDER: F  
  
PATIENT #: 84587  
  
MEDICAL HISTORY: First admitted for mild schizophrenia. Schizophrenia has advanced to point where permanent residence is required. The patient is prone to prolonged periods of inactivity and unresponsiveness. During lucid moments, violent mood swings are common. Recently, the patient has attempted many escape attempts and is being kept in maximum security.  
  
ROOM #: 210  
  
Wanda grimaced. It was a sad thing when a person was reduced to a medical profile. Her own patient number had been 84589. Room 210. That meant she was on the second floor. Wanda headed towards the familiar staircase and quickly began to climb.  
  
This was the same stair that she had been pulled up so many years ago. The same stair she had escaped by. Now, with every step she cleared, she felt her heart lightening. She was transcending every fear with every step. It was an addicting rush that she could definitely get used to.  
  
She made it to the top of the stairs in only a few seconds. Pietro would have been proud. She glanced both ways. 210 would be to. . . The left. Yes, the left. She immediately started running towards the left when she heard voices coming down the corridor. She froze, and then ducked into a nearby alcove. She shadows hid her from view. A group of hospital workers walked leisurely by. They took what seemed like forever to leave. Wanda let out a sigh of relief. She quickly continued her search for the room. She actually wasn't that familiar with the hospital's layout. She had only frequented her solitary cells, the infirmary, and the visitation room.  
  
She almost passed it, but skidded to a halt. 210. Jillian was just on the other side of this door. She stared at it, till the fact that she had precious little time asserted itself in her mind. They would notice the unconscious nurse soon. She had to get Jillian and get out. Now.  
  
She moved to push the door open. It was locked. She fixed that as the doorknob melted away. She opened the door and quickly strode inside shutting it behind her. And noticed the room's occupant.  
  
Secured to the bed with leather straps and padlocks was a girl. The thing that immediately struck Wanda was that she didn't look like anything special. . . At all.  
  
She was asleep, but as Wanda neared, her eyes snapped open, revealing flat blue-gray orbs. Her hair was a dull uninteresting grayish color that wasn't anywhere close to silver. Her entire aura spoke of nothing out of the ordinary. If she recognized Wanda, she showed no sign of it. Her mouth was covered with a kind of muzzle Wanda remembered well. Its purpose was to both to keep the patient from biting the doctor, and to keep the patient from screaming in the middle of the night and waking up the other patients. Wanda hadn't known what she was expecting to find when she came looking for Jillian, but this wasn't it. Maybe it wasn't Jillian after all.  
  
But it had to be. This was the room. There was no one else in it. Just herself and the girl who didn't seem concerned at all with her presence. What had she been expecting? A radiant goddess who came to her in her time of need? Fairy tales like that didn't happen, and she knew it. And she also knew she was wasting time. . .  
  
"Jillian, we're getting out of here!" She whispered. Immediately, she touched the locks and buckles holding the girl down and they vaporized. As she pulled the straps off, the girl still didn't move. It wasn't until Wanda removed the gag that she moved. And move she did.  
  
Suddenly, Wanda found herself propelled into the wall with so much force; it forced all the air from her lungs. She looked down and saw the girl holding her a few inches off the ground by her neck, pressing her even harder into the wall. Her face was a mask of breathtaking fury. Her eyes that had been blue gray were glowing an eerie ice blue, all except the pupil. Which was still black, contrasting sharply with the surrounding color.  
  
"You promised!" Jillian accused, her voice hoarse, as if it had not been used in a while. "You promised me that you'd come back but you didn't!"  
  
"I'm sorry!" Wanda choked out, "I didn't think you were real. Then Mastermind erased my memories and I forgot about you! I never would of left you here if I had known!"  
  
Jillian stared at Wanda, her eyes incredibly cold.  
  
"Ok!" She chirruped, dropping Wanda like a sack of potatoes.  
  
Wanda landed on her butt and coughed. She looked up and saw Jillian looking down at her oddly, eyes normal, with a cheerful smile.  
  
"Now what?" She asked.  
  
Wanda stared for a full minute, and then broke out into a smile. Yes indeedy. This was *definitely* Jillian. She jumped up and grabbed Jillian by the sleeve of her uniform.  
  
"We don't have a lot of time, lets go!"  
  
She dragged Jillian out of the room and started back down the hall. And that was when the alarm went off.  
  
"Shit!"  
  
"Eeep!"  
  
Lights flashed and almost as if on cue, security guards appeared out of nowhere and began blocking off the ends of the hall.  
  
"Don't move! We have you surrounded!"  
  
Jillian and her rescuer shared a wordless glance before, and then she blatantly hid behind Wanda. Wanda turned to the group nearest the exit and spoke a single word.  
  
"Move. . ."  
  
The temperature in the room dropped, then suddenly rose again as Wanda raised her arms and bent her fingers inward. Every tile ripped off the floor and headed towards the guards in a wavelike motion. They scrambled out of the way, but found they had no place to go. The walls seemed to be moving, swirling in a dizzying way that was definitely not natural for a wall. They guards clutched their heads and fell to the floor.  
  
"Come on!" Wanda yelled and started dragging Jillian down the hall again.  
  
Right away she noticed something was wrong. Jillian still seemed slightly disoriented and she was struggling to keep up. More than likely they had given her tranquilizers to help her sleep. It was a wonder she was moving at all. Not to mention the fact that the poor girl probably hadn't preformed any real physical activity for years. She was most likely way out of shape.  
  
The door to the stairwell flew off its hinges and smacked into the guards coming up the stairs, knocking them out cold. Wanda started down the stairs, but more security guards quickly replaced the ones she had knocked out. They started up the stairs. Wanda stopped. She couldn't go back. The guards she left in the hallway would get around the vertigo soon. She glanced upward for heavenly inspiration. And found it. Lining the ceiling of the stairwell were some lovely electrical wires.  
  
Wanda shot a very evil smirk at the advancing guards and beckoned the wires to life. They separated from the ceiling, and in a shower of orange sparks happened to fall in the middle of the group of guards. They all screeched and hopped around, trying to avoid electrocution. Wanda easily made her way around them and she and Jillian finally reached the lobby.  
  
They were not alone. Sitting at the desk was the same nurse from earlier, now holding an ice pack to her head. She took one look at Wanda and screamed. A coworker who was with her moved to hit the alarm again, but was conveniently hit by a ceiling tile a moment later. The nurse groveled and pointed.  
  
"Its you!" For a moment she and Wanda stared at one another. That was the woman's mistake. Wanda could easily see the moment she intended to go for the alarm. The woman jumped towards the button, but as she neared, a wheeled mop bucket rammed into the backs of her legs. She squealed like a pig and reflexively fell butt first into the bucket, dirty water flying everywhere. The bucket immediately shot into the janitor's closet behind her and the door swung shut and locked.  
  
"Its not polite to point." Wanda murmured as the nurse began pounding at the door. Collecting her wits, she dragged Jillian out through the unguarded exit.  
  
The night air was cool and welcoming, almost as if it had been waiting for them. Jillian almost stopped, but then began moving with renewed vigor. The rain fell down as the girls ran, shattering puddles with every footstep. The sound of the blaring alarm faded, till all they could hear was the rain, and their own ragged breathing. Still they kept running. It was unspoken between them. They weren't just running to keep from being caught. They were running from the memories. They were trying to escape the towers of that hospital that still hovered in the distance. They ran farther than Wanda had planned on, only stopping when the hospital was completely out of sight. Wanda grabbed onto a lamppost for support and Jillian collapsed onto the ground with a squish.  
  
"Oh sweet pavement! Oh how I missed you!" Jillian gasped, kissing the asphalt.  
  
Wanda sunk down into a sitting position, with her back to the post and looked at Jillian. Jillian flopped over and looked back. They stared at each other a while. Then Jillian got up with some difficulty and pounced.  
  
"Wanda! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I missed you! Where the hell have you been?!!!"  
  
Wanda coughed and tried to pry the wet sobbing girl off of her. When she succeeded she answered, "It's a long story. We still have to get out of here though, before they send the police out looking for us."  
  
Jillian nodded in agreement.  
  
***  
  
They got on the bus and immediately headed for the back seat. Jillian was wearing Wanda's red coat to hide her hospital clothes. Wanda tried not to wince at how Jillian shoes squished loudly with every step. Hospital slippers apparently were not made for long romps in the rain. They sat down in the back as the bus lurched forward. The only other person on the bus was some old guy towards the front who looked half asleep. The driver glanced uneasily back at them once, but didn't seem overly concerned.  
  
"Well?" Jillian said expectantly.  
  
Wanda took a deep breath and began. She told Jillian about Mystique rescuing her and living with the brotherhood boys. She told her about her confrontation with Pietro in the bathroom and the other confrontations with her father. She told her about Pietro's betrayal and how the world found out about mutants. She told her about how she tried to find Magneto, the trap he laid, and how he had captured her. She told her about the dreams and the realization.  
  
"You're a mutant too."  
  
"I suppose so."  
  
"You sent me all those dreams."  
  
"Kinda."  
  
"Kinda?"  
  
"Yeah, well, after that creepy lady helped you escape, I decided to let you alone for a while. I figured you'd like to enjoy the freedom for a while before you had to come back and get me. After you didn't come back I decided to give you a little poke to remind you, but when I tried. . . The connection was gone. It was just like it had been erased. I guess when that dude messed up your memories, he messed up the path I used to speak to you as well. I was pretty freaked out. I tried for a long time and I finally found you again. I tried to communicate with you, but it didn't work, so I just forced images and feelings into your head. The more open you became to learning, the easier it became for me, but it still took a lot of energy. That's why there were months in between visions. I was resting."  
  
Wanda nodded. "So your power is mostly telepathic?" She thought of the X-man Jean Gray.  
  
"No, actually. I'm can only do telepathic stuff with you. I've tried on the nurses, and even Xavier. It just doesn't work."  
  
"What is your power then?"  
  
"Well, I can see through other people's eyes, but you know that. . . Remember when we first met and I made pear woman visit you?" Wanda nodded.  
  
"That was the first time I tried that. Sometimes, I can make people do what I want them to do. What ever I want them to do."  
  
"Then why didn't you make someone open the door to your cell and let you out?"  
  
"Oh, they usually kept me on tranquilizers since I had a penchant for *ahem* violence. I've never been awake enough to do it on a grand scale. . ." She swayed for a moment. "In fact, I don't think I'm awake right now!" With that said, Jillian slumped over dead asleep.  
  
Wanda shook her head. As long as it took for Jillian to fall asleep, she had probably worked up a tolerance to whatever drug they had been using. That was a scary thought.  
  
***  
  
An hour later, Jillian sat up with a loud snort.  
  
"Whatcha gonna do now?" She said quickly.  
  
"Huh?" Wanda yawned. The cops hadn't stopped them yet.  
  
"What are you gonna do now that you have your memories back? Go after your dad again?"  
  
"Of course!" Wanda answered incredulously. All she had been thinking about on this bus ride were creative ways to lop off the man's head.  
  
"When?"  
  
"Well, I was thinking I'd go after him again as soon as I get back."  
  
Jillian made a buzzing sound that indicated a wrong answer.  
  
"He thinks you don't have a grudge at him right now. Shouldn't you use that?"  
  
Wanda stopped herself from answering. Yes. She should use that. What better attack was there than a surprise attack? She could pretend that she still didn't have her memories. She was pulled out her thoughts by Jillian's next statement.  
  
"I want to help."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"Because I was in your head too when all that happened." She paused. "A person who would do that to his own daughter really shouldn't be allowed to take over the world." She looked at Wanda and smiled.  
  
Wanda smiled back. She had her first ally.  
  
"You could have more."  
  
Wanda glowered. "Are you back in my head already?"  
  
Jillian smiled sweetly and continued, "You really think that you're the only person out there that Magneto had screwed over?"  
  
Wanda almost took offense at that till she realized exactly what it was Jillian was saying. A slow smile crossed her face.  
  
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." She murmured aloud. Knowing her father, there was probably a plethora of people out there whose lives he had ruined. People who wanted revenge too. Allies.  
  
Before, she had failed in all her attempts to destroy Magneto. She pondered over that. He had allies; she did not. He was organized; she was not. He had resources; she did not. If she ever *really* wanted to destroy Magneto, she would have to do more than show up like a nuisance and ruin his plans from time to time.  
  
She had to be smarter than he was. She needed to stop acting like a hurt child. Her time spent without memories had given her some insight. Control *was* important. She needed to stop and think about things rather than go rushing out into them.  
  
"If you has stopped to think about it, you would have known following Pyro was a trap." Jillian smiled.  
  
She should have! Why hadn't she seen it? Why had she gone rushing out into the snow after that stupid Aussie?!  
  
"Why did your father erase your memories instead of sending you back to the hospital or killing you?"  
  
Why indeed. Erasing her memories and sending her back to live free almost sounded benevolent. Almost. If he had considered her dangerous he probably would have sent her back or killed her. But if he didn't consider her dangerous.  
  
The realization hit Wanda like a rock in the chest. She hated this man with all her soul. She had pledged to see him rot. She had nearly killed him once. She had enough power to make his internal organs explode. He had done her a terrible wrong.  
  
And he didn't even consider her a threat.  
  
The bus swerved all over the road for a few minutes before Wanda calmed down.  
  
Jillian smiled. She placed a hand on Wanda's shoulder. "You know now. That means you can do something about it."  
  
Wanda looked at her friend and smiled. It felt good to be conspiring with someone. She looked out the window just as the lights of Bayville came into view.  
  
"There it is." The Mecca of the mutant sensation. The home of the X- men and the Brotherhood. Magneto's hunting ground.  
  
The birthplace of the beginning of the end.  
  
***  
  
Yay! You read! I know this isn't the most beautiful chapter I've ever written, but R&R anyway, so I won't be bored tomorrow. 


	8. Chapter Thgie

It is I, Jjah-Jjah! Happy Turkey Day! In honor of the occasion, I have brought in Ed's cousin Skreeeee the mutant turkey! Hello Skreeeee!  
  
Skreeeee: Hello JJ! Thank you for having me!  
  
You're welcome. Oh well. Life sucks. Moving on.  
  
Be forewarned. I have decided that this story would be waaaay too big if I keep going with all I have planned so, this is the last chapter. . .  
  
Don't cry! *no one cries* I'm putting everything else into a sequel called: Vermillion. It'll be out soon, don't worry. Now, onto the reviews! You all better review the sequel too! :-D  
  
***  
  
A girl and her muses: Thanks! The enemy of my enemy line is kinda one of those things your hear everywhere. I know I didn't hear it on YGO because I haven't seen any episode that have Dark Marik in them. Oh well.  
  
Taineyah: Thank you! I shall.  
  
Quaxo9: *blushes* You're sooo nice, thank you!  
  
Storm-Pietro: We got *some* Pietro in the upcoming chapter, be happy!  
  
roguehobbit: tehehe thanks! If I knew the *Expletive* that ran over my cat, I would go after him with a crowbar. The rxns of the BoM are here!  
  
Wizardess Gal: Thanks for the review. Ack! I know I missed the disclaimer! What a bad person am I! Here's this one!  
  
*** Disclaimer: Oh have mercy upon this poor worthless soul who has no life, car, money, or job and do not sue her for that which she admittedly does not profess to own or have stock or know anyone who does own it or has any affiliation with any species of llama whatsoever!!!! ***  
  
Chapter Eight: Through  
  
Something was vaguely not kosher. Toad glanced around the wrecked living room and scratched his head. Lance was out working on his jeep. Freddy was eating cheesy puffs while watching TV. Pietro was pouting because Freddy had control of the remote. And Wanda. . .  
  
Wanda! That was it! It was nearly one o-clock and she still wasn't up yet! How could he have forgotten his one true love? Inspired, he leaped towards the stairs.  
  
"I'm gonna go wake up Wanda, yo." He told the others rather pointlessly. They weren't paying any attention.  
  
He scrambled down the hall towards Wanda's room and stopped. He could knock, or not. She would probably be pissed off anyway. So, he tried the door, and to his surprise, it was unlocked. He looked at the bed, and sure enough there was a big lump curled up under the covers.  
  
He was just going to call her name. It passed his mind for a whole minute. But then his little amphibian mind got to work and he mused over how nice it would be to see Wanda all curled up asleep in her pajamas. So, he made his way, quietly to the bed and slowly pulled back the covers.  
  
It wasn't Wanda.  
  
And it also wasn't asleep.  
  
As Lance entered the house his attention was caught by the sound of a bloodcurdling scream coming from upstairs. It also caught Freddy and Pietro's notice. They moved to look up the stairwell. They were shocked when a strange girl came down the stairs. She was in pajamas and slung over her shoulder was something wrapped in a bed sheet. From the objects size, and the voice coming from within, they surmised it was Toad.  
  
The girl calmly walked past them towards the neglected laundry shoot. She opened it, shoved the objecting bundle inside, closed the shoot, and started back up the stairs again.  
  
"Hey! Who the hell are you?" Lance snarled as soon as he got over his shock.  
  
"Yeah! Little girls can get hurt in a place like this." Pietro added.  
  
Freddy just stood there.  
  
The girl turned to look at them. "I," she began, "am the current escapee from the land of the crazy people. I bring you joy and good tidings from the far eastern shore and the King of the Willow Warblers! Pleased to meet you!"  
  
Lance and Pietro's expressions immediately mirrored Freddy's confused look.  
  
"Look, I don't care where the heck you came from, but you can't stay here!" Lance frowned. Pietro nodded in agreement. They started towards the girl to throw her out of the house when a cold pissed-off voice stopped them dead in their tracks.  
  
"Touch her, and you're dog meat!"  
  
Wanda had arrived. She came down the stairs to stand beside the strange girl, who was smiling cheerfully.  
  
"This is Jillian West." Wanda snarled. "She's a friend of mine. She got kicked out of her house for being a mutant, so she's staying here now."  
  
"But Wanda," Pietro began, "we can't just let anyone stay here, you know! We're a highly exclusive group!"  
  
Lance rolled his eyes. "On yeah, we're just like a secret club. Pietro. . ."  
  
Jillian suddenly perked up. "Pietro?"  
  
She shot down the stairs and grabbed Pietro's face in her hands. She examined him thoroughly and came to the conclusion that he did indeed share a physical resemblance to Wanda. She immediately hugged him, while Pietro looked weirded out.  
  
"Wanda! You never told me your brother was so cute!"  
  
Wanda looked at her disbelievingly, Lance coughed, Pietro struggled to free himself from Jillian's hold, and Freddy finally grasped the humor of the situation and began to laugh.  
  
"Wanda, do I get clothes?" Asked Jillian.  
  
"Yep. We're going shopping now. You can borrow some of mine."  
  
"Yay!" Jillian released Pietro, flinging him into a wall and skipped up the stairs to Wanda's room.  
  
Pietro recovered. "Wanda! We can't have her here! What if Magneto finds out?"  
  
Wanda just barely managed to keep her anger hidden.  
  
"I don't see why he would mind."  
  
"And how do we know she isn't a spy from those X-freaks or something?"  
  
"She's not. I guarantee it." Wanda captured her twin's gaze with a cold glare.  
  
Pietro shivered and grumbled, "All right, she can stay. But if anything happens you're in big trouble."  
  
Wanda snorted.  
  
It was then that Jillian ran back down stairs, decked out in red and black.  
  
"Come Wanda, we must depart!" She grabbed Wanda and they swept past the boys and out the door.  
  
It was then that a lone figure emerged from the laundry chute.  
  
***  
  
Wanda and Jillian sat on a low brick wall near the sidewalk watching the people go by.  
  
Jillian now had her own clothes. Black pants with thin lavender pinstripes, a plain camisole shirt, and a black duster. They had also gotten her hair cut. It has been in the neutral bob that all the female patients in the hospital wore. Now it was still the same length, but layered, which made it look spikier. As Wanda's insistence, they had also gotten dark makeup and jewelry.  
  
"Now what?" Jillian asked.  
  
"I dunno. I guess we look for other people who hate Magneto so we can start a little. . ."  
  
"We Hate Daddy-Mags Club?"  
  
"That'll work."  
  
"What're we gonna call it?"  
  
"I dunno."  
  
So they sat there trying to think of something brilliant.  
  
***  
  
One Hour Later  
  
***  
  
"I'm bored."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
***  
  
Two Hours Later  
  
***  
  
"My butt's gone numb."  
  
". . ."  
  
***  
  
Three Hours Later  
  
***  
  
"Oh, I wish I was in Dixie!  
  
Hooray! Hooray!  
  
In Dixieland, I'll take my stand  
  
To live and die in Dixie! --Ack!"  
  
"Will you shut up?!!!!"  
  
***  
So far later, the author got tired of keeping track. . .  
  
***  
  
"What are we sitting here for again?"  
  
"We're trying to think of a name for our evil organization."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Jillian untied and re-laced her shoe before she said anything further.  
  
"What's with the alias thingy?"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"You know, you called the little pervert guy Todd and Toad. And I believe you referred to your brother as Quicksilver once."  
  
"That's a codename. Most mutants have a codename. I guess it's supposed to help hide our identities or something. Kind of pointless since our faces keep flashing across the evening news."  
  
"Do you have one?"  
  
Wanda nodded. "I'm the Scarlet Witch."  
  
Jillian smiled broadly. It fit. "Do I get one?"  
  
"Sure. It should have something to do with your power, though."  
  
"Hmmm. . ." Jillian sat there for a moment then chirruped, "Nope, can't think of one! Let's go back to the boarding house Wanda. I want to annoy your brother some more before nightfall."  
  
Wanda assented. Anything that had to do with the suffering of her sibling was fine by her. The two of them slowly made their way back to the boarding house, dragging their shopping bags with them. About halfway there, Jillian stopped short.  
  
"Eureka! I thought of a name!"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"You know that game we used to play after you got tired of tic-tac- toe?"  
  
Wanda furrowed her brow in thought. "I-spy?"  
  
"That's it! Except I'll spell the I, e-y-e. Eye-spy! It works."  
  
"It does. . ." Wanda trailed off and looked up at the sky. "Scarlet Witch and Eye-spy. I wonder what those two names together will bring?"  
  
Jillian shrugged. "Whatever you make of it."  
  
***  
  
Gambit was of an unusual sort. Any other person would be perfectly content to suck up to their boss by checking in on his offspring. He was getting paid extra after all, but nonetheless it was a chore that he loathed with a passion. Sighing he shuffled a deck of cards absently as he approached the rundown boarding house. He did not enjoy harassing the Brotherhood Boys; they were pitiful excuses for. . . Whatever they were supposed to be. . .  
  
Putting his cards away, he reached for the backdoor of the house, only to have the doorknob fall off into his hand. He raised a brow and shoved the door open with his foot. He emerged into the kitchen expecting to see one of the idiots who dwelling therein to jump at his presence. However, the room's only occupant was a mutant he had never seen before.  
  
She was a teenage girl. Her pale hair was spiky and her attire indicated that she was possibly part of the gothic persuasion. She sat at the propped up kitchen table, painting her nails black.  
  
"Allo Mademoiselle, who might y' be?"  
  
Jillian looked up and blinked at him for a second.  
  
"I'm Jillian! What's your name?"  
  
"This b' Gambit." He smiled and pulled up a chair. "What y' be doin' here, hon?"  
  
"Painting my nails. I like black, don't you?"  
  
"Oui, but dat's not what Gambit meant."  
  
"My parents kicked me out and my friend Wanda is letting me stay here." Jillian clarified.  
  
Gambit frowned. Wanda. That was Mageto's daughter. He remembered her. He remembered how John had lured her into that trap so that Magneto could have Mastermind mess with her memories. It had been all he could do just to stand there while that happened. He had always been taught to treasure family. What Magneto did to his own daughter was a disgrace, no doubt about it.  
  
"So, what are you here for?" Jillian drawled, pulling him out of his memories.  
  
"Gambit's jus' lookin' for Pietro. You seen 'im?"  
  
"Oh, he's hiding in the closet by the front door."  
  
"Que?"  
  
"He's hiding from me. I think I scare him."  
  
Gambit burst into laughter. That was indeed something to report back to Magneto: his son was hiding in a closet from a girl. That was lovely.  
  
Still chuckling, he said his goodbyes to Jillian and started towards the front door, so he could rub his new knowledge is Pietro's face. Yet as he left his gaze met hers for a long moment and for that moment, he felt strange. His eyes tickled. He shook it off and walked on.  
  
A few moments later, Wanda emerged from upstairs.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"We have lift off."  
  
***  
  
Gambit opened a set of huge metal doors and made his way into the somber interior of Magneto's office. The man himself sat in a large swivel chair behind a desk. Gambit walked up, stopped, and obstinately began looking around as if casing the joint. Magneto took a deep breath and began speaking.  
  
"How is Pietro doing?"  
  
Gambit smiled cheekily. "Fine jus' fine! Thinkin' up plans t' get de X-men, keeping' order, hidin' from de filles in closets, working' on leadership skills! Yes siree, dat boy of yours' doin fine."  
  
Magneto raised a brow and stared at the Acolyte straight in the eye. He was about to ask about the "hiding from girls" part of the report when he noticed something. Gambit's eyes. It wasn't as if he had never noticed their color before, but today the flash of scarlet there captured his attention. Scarlet. Wanda.  
  
For some strange reason a feeling of dread made its way into his throat. For a moment it was as if he was seeing something from a perspective he could not possibly understand. . .  
  
But he brushed the feeling away like cobwebs. Wanda was harmless. Wanda was worthless. She was no threat, nothing to be worried about.  
  
In the gaze of a pair of eyes that saw for two he smiled.  
  
Wanda was nothing to be worried about at all. . .  
  
*** Fin...... Oh well. This is where it ends, or does it? If you want to find out what happens to our heroes, tune in next time for Vermillion. It is a tale of revenge, action, mystery, romance, drama, and comedy! Wanda and Jillian still have to learn how to drive! What more could you ask for?!  
  
R&R tata! 


End file.
